The Three-Month Wound Complication and Infection Rates After Vancomycin Powder and Dilute Povidone-Iodine Lavage for...

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a high-cost and extremely morbid complication following total joint arthroplasty; thus, developing a better understanding of perioperative infection prevention strategies is prudent. Literature is mixed regarding the efficacy of vancomycin powder and dilute povidone-iodine lavage, and limited on the combination thereof. To our knowledge, no prospective orthopedic clinical trials to date have evaluated the efficacy of local vancomycin powder, dilute povidone-iodine lavage, or a combination vancomycin-povidone-iodine protocol against normal saline irrigation.

In a large, prospective, multicenter, randomized-controlled study, four distinct infection prevention strategies were implemented in high-risk total joint arthroplasty patients. Local vancomycin powder, dilute povidone-iodine solution, combined vancomycin-povidone-iodine protocol, and saline control were used. Primary outcomes included PJI, wound complications, revisions, emergency department visits, readmissions, and serious adverse events within 3 months of index surgery. Chi-square tests were used to compare incidence rates. The criteria used for the diagnosis of PJI were the International Consensus Meeting guidelines.

There were 821 total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 1,080 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients randomized into well-balanced study groups. In the THA and TKA cohorts, respectively, there were no statistically significant differences in rates of persistent wound drainage or dehiscence (P = 0.98, P = 0.95), cellulitis or abscess (P = 0.81, P = 0.51), 3-month infection rates (P = 0.14, P = 0.13), type of septic revisions performed (P = 0.51, P = 0.80), aseptic revision rates (P = 0.07, P = 0.90), emergency department visits (P = 0.61, P = 0.46), or readmissions (P = 0.78, P = 0.87) between the four treatment groups.

There were no statistically significant differences in PJI or other surgical outcomes following THA or TKA among the study groups. Therefore, the use of such prophylactic measures, including povidone-iodine and vancomycin powder in high-risk patients, can be left up to the surgeon or hospital discretion.