Learn about the flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, and our masking policy »
New to MyHealth?
Manage Your Care From Anywhere.
Access your health information from any device with MyHealth. You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.
ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
NEED MORE DETAILS?
MyHealth for Mobile
Get the iPhone MyHealth app »
Get the Android MyHealth app »
Abstract
We assessed the utility of culturing draining wounds or sinuses in evaluating periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Fifty-five patients with a draining wound or sinus after total joint arthroplasty (28 knees, 27 hips) who had not received antibiotics for at least two weeks were prospectively studied. Superficial wound cultures were compared to intra-articular cultures to determine accuracy in isolating infecting organism(s). The superficial cultures were concordant with deep cultures in 26 of 55 cases (47.3%) and were more likely to generate polymicrobial results (27.3% vs. 10.9%; P=0.023). In 23 cases (41.8%), the superficial cultures would have led to a change in antibiotic regimen. Superficial cultures yielded bacterial growth in 8 of the 10 cases (80%) when deep cultures and further work-up suggested the absence of deep infection. Given the potential to misguide diagnosis and treatment, we recommend against obtainment of superficial cultures in patients with a draining wound or sinus following hip or knee arthroplasty.
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.arth.2013.04.057
View details for PubMedID 23906868