Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026
In Vivo Mouse Model of Spinal Implant Infection
Published on: June 23, 2020
Surgical Site Infection In Orthopaedic Surgery: Correlation Between Age, Diabetes, Smoke And Surgical Risk
Leonardo Fisichella1, Domenico Fenga1, Michele Attilio Rosa1
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Morphological and functional imaging, Section of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico G. Martino, Messina, Italy
Introduction:
Surgical site infection is a common complication after orthopaedic surgery. It can be associated with increased morbidity rate and social cost. The accurate identification of risk factors is essential so that strategies to prevent these potentially devastating infections can be developed. We have conducted this study to determine the possible risk factors for the surgical site infections.
Objectives:
We aimed at finding exhaustive evidence concerning the potential risk factors for infections in orthopaedic surgery.
Patients And Methods:
Between October 2009 and December 2011, we identified 84 patients with a superficial and/or deep surgical site infection and compared them with 203 uninfected patients (control group), taken out from a series of 486 patients. We considered the following risk factors: diabetes, BMI >30, ASA Score of 3 or 4, smoking and age.
Results:
The most frequently performed operations of the 287 examined patients were the knee and hip arthroplasties (n = 32, 11.14%) and open fracture reductions (n = 178, 62.02%). Staphylococcus Aureus was the most common identified pathogen (n = 63, 75%). The analyses (preoperative and postoperative) of the infected patients showed them to have significantly high serum glucose levels in comparison with the control group (odds ratio = 8.7). We found a significant high rate of infection in patients smoking for more than 20 years (67 patients, 79.7%). The remaining variables (BMI, OR = 2.21; ASA score, OR = 1.3) showed no significant differences between the study group and controls. We also found a correlation between > 65-year-old patients and infections at the surgical site (61 patients, 72.6%).
Conclusion:
We found that there was correlation between diabetes, smoking and age as risk factors with the development of infection at the surgical site; other variables such as the ASA score and BMI are not relevant here (contrary to what is reported in literature). We believe that postoperative results can be improved considerably with a properly conducted antibiotic treatment, stringent glycemic control (achievable only with careful multidisciplinary management) and good compliance of patients.
More Related Videos
07:22Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes
Published on: March 7, 2025
08:17A Mouse Model of Orthopedic Surgery to Study Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction and Tissue Regeneration
Published on: February 27, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:23Peripheral Artery Disease V: Postoperative Nursing Management
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:21Inflammatory Bowel Disease V: Surgical Management
Here are some common surgical interventions for IBD:
01:26Healthcare Associated Infections I: Iatrogenic, Exogenic and Endogenic
HAIs significantly increase the cost of health care. Extended stays in healthcare institutions, increased disability, increased costs of medications, including specialized antibiotics, and prolonged recovery times add to the patient's expenses and the healthcare institution and funding bodies.