Agricultural Trauma Causing Open Fractures: Is Antibiotic Coverage Against Anaerobic Organisms Indicated?

To compare deep infection rate and causative organisms in open fractures of the lower extremity from agricultural trauma with similar injuries in nonagricultural trauma.

Retrospective.

Two tertiary care institutions.

Open lower extremity fractures sustained between 2003 and 2018 caused by agriculture-related trauma in adult patients were reviewed. A nonagriculture open fracture control group (NAG) was identified for comparison. Patient demographics and injury characteristics were assessed. Outcomes included occurrence of deep infection and causative organisms.

One hundred seventy-eight patients were identified in the agriculture (AG) (n = 89) and control (NAG) (n = 89) groups. Among patients with agricultural injury, farm machinery was the most common mechanism in 69 (77.5%) of them. Open injuries of the foot (38.2%) and tibial shaft injuries (25.8%) were the most common in the AG and NAG groups, respectively. Deep infection was seen in 21% of patients in the AG group compared with 10% in the NAG group (P < 0.05). In the AG group, anaerobic infection occurred in 44% of patients with deep infection compared with 9.1% in the NAG group (P < 0.05). The most common anaerobic organisms included enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Clostridium perfringens.

This study supports that open fractures due to agricultural trauma have a high infection rate, with anaerobic infection occurring at higher rates than in injuries due to nonagricultural trauma. Prophylactic treatment with antibiotics directed against anaerobes is indicated in these injuries.

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.