The Lived Experience of Individuals With Prosthetic Joint Infection

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a complication of total joint arthroplasty with a survival rate worse than some cancers.

A qualitative design, using descriptive phenomenology, was used to explore the lived experience of PJI. Twelve interviews were analyzed to report the essence of the phenomenon. A chart review was also conducted to assess surgical outcomes.

Participants "made sense of" PJI through two themes: "The Nail in the Coffin" and "Struggle with Living." "The Nail in the Coffin" was represented by losses of independence, identity, and financial security. "Struggle with Living" was represented by pain, balance of burden, uncertainty, and emotional responses. Half of participants had poor outcomes including amputation and death.

The experience of PJI may be moderated by stage of life. Social support plays an important role, affecting both gratitude and guilt. Loss of independence and identity, pain, burden, and emotional responses are impactful experiences in PJI.