Topical Vancomycin for Neurosurgery Wound Prophylaxis (Vanguard)

September 30, 2025 updated by: E. Sander Connolly, Columbia University

Topical Vancomycin for the Reduction of Surgical Site Infections in Neurosurgery

This study is a collaboration between New York Presbyterian (NYP)-Columbia and NYP-Cornell that seeks to evaluate the use of topical vancomycin and its reduction on surgical site infection (SSI) in neurosurgical procedures. Adult patients undergoing neurosurgery at either institution will be eligible for participation in this randomized control trial. Patients randomized to the treatment group will receive 2g of vancomycin applied as a powder or paste to the wound site and/or bone flap. Subjects in the control group will receive the current standard of care without topical vancomycin. All subjects will undergo swabbing of the anterior nares and the surgical site prior to surgery, once 10-14 days following the operation and 90 days following the operation. The primary outcome measure will be surgical site infection, assessed daily throughout the hospital stay, at the first follow-up visit, and by telephone at 14-30 days and 90 days (+/- 7 days). Secondary outcomes will include length of hospital stay, length of intensive care stay, rate of reoperation and patient mortality. In addition, systemic vancomycin levels will be assessed at 6 hours and 20 hours postoperatively in each patient. Patients who have an external ventricular drain in place will have vancomycin levels assessed daily. In patients who have cranial drains placed, vancomycin concentrations will be analyzed from daily in wound drainage. Skin and nasal flora will be analyzed to assess the impact of topical vancomycin on the patient microbiome. Although there has been a decrease in the incidence of infections following craniotomy secondary to prophylactic intravenous antibiotics, proper sterile techniques, and other interventions, SSIs continue to significantly impact morbidity, mortality, and cost burden. Although never studied in neurosurgical procedures other than instrumented spine, the application of topical vancomycin to the surgical site prior to wound closure has demonstrated a reduction in SSIs in spine, cardiac and ophthalmologic procedures. The benefits of using prophylactic vancomycin topically, as opposed to intravenously, include reduced systemic levels of the drug, and therefore, a decreased probability of adverse events related to the drug, such as inducing resistance among the native flora. The investigators propose a single-blinded randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of topical vancomycin in reducing SSIs rates following neurosurgical procedures.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Surgical-site infections (SSIs) occur in up to 500,000 patients per year in the United States. Patients with SSIs require significantly longer hospital stays and higher health care expenditures. In fact, it is estimated that SSIs are responsible for almost 4 million excess hospital days and billions of dollars in added hospital charges every year. Additionally, SSIs are a significant source of morbidity and mortality for surgical patients. Thus, prompt and definitive measures are necessary in order to redress this significant public health concern. Over the past few decades, the implementation of a number of preventative measures-including improved techniques in pre-operative skin antisepsis and antibiotic prophylaxis-have led to significant reductions in the rate of SSIs. Studies have demonstrated that approximately half of all SSIs are preventable with the proper use of prophylactic antibiotics. Despite these dramatic improvements, SSIs remain a tremendous burden on the healthcare system. Our unpublished analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) in 2010 identified 117,000 craniotomies with a 2.4% rate of infection and 1.37% rate of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-associated infection. Extrapolating to the full national population, there were 585,000 craniotomies and 14,040 post-operative infections. Published series report the rate of infection in intracranial neurosurgery to range from 1% to as high as 11%. This rate varies depending on the presence of hardware, prior radiotherapy, procedure duration, re-operation, and the presence of a CSF leak. The 30-day outcome associated with SSI following craniotomy was recently reported to be a minor disability in 12.8%, major disability in 7.7% and death in 5.1%. The financial burden of nosocomial infection in neurosurgery makes up a disproportionate component of the total national cost burden. A study of nosocomial infection in the US in 1995 estimated a per-patient cost of $2100 and a total cost of $4.5 billion while a recent British study focusing on post-craniotomy SSI identified a per-SSI cost of £9283, or $14,166. Given the tremendous potential for lifelong morbidity and mortality as a result of cranial SSIs, further reductions in the rate of SSI would be essential for the benefit of neurosurgical patients, as well as for the healthcare system as a whole.Topical formulations of vancomycin offer the possibility of direct application to the surgical wound, with minimal additional systemic drug exposure. Adjunctive vancomycin powder applied topically to surgical wound edges has been shown to significantly lower the SSI rate in both cardiothoracic surgery and spinal surgery. Importantly, laboratory analyses of blood and wound drainage samples from patients treated with vancomycin powder have demonstrated high vancomycin concentrations in the surgical wound, and simultaneously low drug concentrations in the peripheral blood, thereby confirming minimal systemic absorption in the setting of enhanced protection of the surgical site. Furthermore, there have been no reports of an increased rate of drug-related complications with the addition of vancomycin powder to standard antibiotic prophylaxis regimens.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
1103

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • Columbia University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult (18+) neurosurgical procedure (ie.Craniotomy, Craniectomy, and Cranioplasty)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Creatinine > 1.50 mg/dL on admission
  • Vancomycin allergy (documented or self-reported)
  • Evidence of infection at or near the planned surgical site
  • No planned dural or dural-substitute closure
  • Spinal instrumentation (topical vancomycin is already standard of care)
  • No surface area to apply:Carotid endarterectomy, MRI-guided laser ablation
  • Trans-sphenoidal approach
  • Acoustic neuroma resection
  • Surgeon preference for or against use in the given procedure

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Topical Vancomycin
Treatment group, receive 2 g topical vancomycin hydrochloride (1 g applied as powder, 1 g mixed with sterile solution and applied as paste) at the time of closure, in addition to the standard of care for wound prophylaxis
Drug: Vancomycin
Topically applied powder and paste to surgical site at time of closure.
Other Names:
  • Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection
No Intervention: Standard of Care
Control group, receive standard of care only

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Any Surgical-site Infection as Evidenced by Surgeon or Attending Physician Diagnosis, or Signs and Symptoms of Infection Assessed by Phone Call Interview or at In-office Follow-up Consultation
Time Frame: 30 days & 90 days (+/- 7 days) postoperatively
Classified as superficial incisional, deep incisional, or organ/space (intradural) infection
30 days & 90 days (+/- 7 days) postoperatively
Number of Subjects That Reported Any Surgical-site Infections
Time Frame: 30 days & 90 days (+/- 7 days) postoperatively
As evidenced by surgeon or attending physician diagnosis, or signs and symptoms of infection assessed by phone call interview or at in-office follow-up consultation. Classified as superficial incisional, deep incisional, or organ/space (intradural) infection.
30 days & 90 days (+/- 7 days) postoperatively

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants With Positive Serum Vancomycin Levels
Time Frame: 6-20 hours post-operatively
Vancomycin levels in serum will be tested after surgery, any additional fluid collections, but if and only if clinically indicated. A serum vancomycin level of >3.0 mg/dl is considered positive.
6-20 hours post-operatively
Number of Participants Who Developed a Previously Undetected Vancomycin Resistance
Time Frame: 90 days postoperatively
Microbial swabs will be obtained by the clinical coordinator preoperatively, post-operatively, at 10-14 days and at 90 days. Staph aureus isolates from mannitol growth will be tested for vancomycin resistance.
90 days postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Columbia University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Cornell University
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: E. Sander Connolly, M.D., Columbia University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 1, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 3, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 4, 2014

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 5, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 29, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 30, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • AAAN3703
  • 1R01HS022903-01 (U.S. AHRQ Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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