Effect of patient comorbidities on SSIs after hip, knee replacement

Editor's Note

This study found that surgical site infections (SSIs) occurred most commonly after total joint replacement revision procedures and were related to many patient comorbidities, which were significantly associated with a higher risk of SSIs.

In this analysis of 335,134 total knee replacements (TKRs) and 163,547 total hip replacements (THRs), SSI rates were 15.6% and 8.6% after revision TKRs and revision THRs, respectively, compared with 2.1% after both primary TKRs and primary THRs.

Comorbidities with the greatest adjusted effect on SSIs across all total joint replacements were: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, paralysis, coagulopathy, metastatic cancer, and congestive heart failure. Obesity and diabetes also increased the risk of SSIs.

This is the largest effort to date to identify comorbid risks for SSIs in total joint replacement patients, the researchers say.