Postoperative wound infection in rheumatoid arthritis surgery

The purpose of this study was to determine whether any of a number of factors studied correlated with the incidence of postoperative infection in rheumatoid patients, which is regarded as high. Data relating to all early postoperative infections between 1975 and 1978, 136 cases in all, were analysed together with data relating to two control series, one matched for sex, age and operation type, the other randomly chosen. The infection rate overall was 1.7%. The type of antirheumatic medication used did not influence the incidence of infection. Unrelated post-operative infections in the past correlated with risk of infection. Highly significant differences in the incidence of infection between the various types of operation were demonstrated.