Factors Associated with Surgical Field Bacterial Detection during Total Hip Arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Surgical Microbiology

Background:

• Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common procedure for hip pain relief and function improvement.
• Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a significant complication following THA.
• Understanding bacterial contamination during surgery is crucial for PJI prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the bacterial detection rate in surgical wound closures during THA.
• To investigate the association between bacterial detection and antiseptic type, surgery duration, and surgeon experience.
• To identify factors influencing bacterial contamination in the surgical field.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of bacterial detection rates from surgical field samples in 500 THA patients.
• Comparison of detection rates based on antiseptic used, surgery time, and surgeon experience (<10 years vs. ≥10 years).
• Statistical analysis, including chi-square test, to assess significance.

Main Results:

• Overall bacterial detection rate was 4.6%, with no PJI cases observed.
• No significant association found between bacterial detection and antiseptic type or surgery duration.
• A significantly higher bacterial detection rate (7.3%) was observed in patients treated by surgeons with less than 10 years of experience compared to those with ≥10 years (1.3%).

Conclusions:

• Surgeon experience, specifically less than 10 years, is significantly associated with increased bacterial detection rates during THA wound closure.
• Antiseptic type and surgery duration did not show a significant impact on bacterial detection.
• Intraoperative handling techniques may play a role in the bacterial load within surgical fields.