A study published in The Journal of Arthroplasty shows that total joint arthroplasty patients are highly susceptible to periprosthetic joint infection based on a number of factors.
Here are six things to know:
1. The researchers sought to determine the potential impacts case order, prior infection and terminal cleaning may, respectively, have on PJI.
2. The study was based on 31,499 TJAs performed between 2000 and 2014. Researchers defined PJI based on the Muscoskeletal Infection Society's criteria.
3. Results showed that non-infected cases followed infected cases in 92 out of the 31,499 cases and were, therefore, more likely to develop PJI.
4. Later cases didn't have a higher likelihood of infection than early cases.
5. The researchers concluded that TJA cases taking place in the same room and on the same day as infected cases have higher infection risks. In addition, improved sterile technique and clean air operating rooms don't fully eliminate the risk of contaminating a TJA patient with elements from a prior infected case; rather, risk of infection remains high.
6. Terminal cleaning after infected cases didn't impact PJI risk in cases the following morning. The researchers believe that the method may be effective in reducing an operating room's bioburden.
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