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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Empiric treatment is less costly than Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization in total joint arthroplasty
Jacob Stirton1, Joseph Scott Herron1, Sumon Nandi1
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Abstract:
The aim of our study was to compare the cost of preoperative empiric mupirocin treatment of all total joint arthroplasty patients with a standard Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization protocol. The cost of empiric mupirocin treatment is $24.65 per patient, whereas the cost of a standard S. aureus screening and decolonization protocol is $60.32 per patient. Given that more than 1,051,000 total joint arthroplasties are performed annually, the cost savings with empiric treatment is nearly $40 million per year. Empiric treatment allows for more efficient workflow, minimizes potential for clerical error, eliminates risk of undertreatment, and has not been shown to increase antibiotic resistance.
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