The incidence and causative organisms of infection in elective shoulder surgery
- Resource Type
- Authors
- A S C Bidwai; Inigo Guisasola; Matthew Smith; Alistair I W Mayne; Peter Brownson; Rachael Clifford
- Source
- Shoulder & Elbow. 10:179-185
- Subject
- Shoulder
030222 orthopedics
medicine.medical_specialty
Shoulder surgery
business.industry
Open surgery
Incidence (epidemiology)
medicine.medical_treatment
Rehabilitation
Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
030229 sport sciences
Surgery
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
medicine.anatomical_structure
Anesthesia
Orthopedic surgery
Medicine
Infection control
Upper limb
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Implant
business
Complication
- Language
- ISSN
- 1758-5740
1758-5732
Background Deep infection remains a serious complication of orthopaedic surgery. Knowledge of infection rates and causative organisms is important to guide infection control measures. The aim of the present study was to determine infection rates and causative organisms in elective shoulder surgery. Methods Cases complicated by infection were identified and prospectively recorded over a 2-year period. All patients undergoing elective shoulder surgery in the concurrent period at a single Specialist Upper Limb Unit in the UK were identified from the hospital electronic database. Results In total, 1574 elective shoulder cases were performed: 1359 arthroscopic (540 with implant insertion) and 215 open (197 with implant insertion). The overall infection rate in open surgery of 2.5% was significantly higher than arthroscopic implant cases at 0.7% ( p Conclusions Patients undergoing open shoulder surgery have a significantly higher risk of infection compared to arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Arthroscopic surgery with implant insertion has a statistically significantly higher risk of developing deep infection compared to procedures with no implant insertion. We recommend prophylactic antibiotics in open shoulder surgery and arthroscopic shoulder surgery with implant insertion.