Summary
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.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Steinbrocker, O., Traeger, C.H., Batterman, R.C. Therapeutic criteria in rheumatoid arthritis. JAMA 1949, 140, 659–662.
Uddin, J., Kraus, A.S., Kelly, H.G. Survivorship and death in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1970, 13, 125–130.
Karten, I. Septic arthritis complicating rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Intern Med, 1969, 70, 1147–1158.
Kellgren, J.H., Ball, J., Fairbrother, R.W., Barnes, K.L. Suppurative arthritis complicating rheumatoid arthritis. Br Med J, 1958, 1, 1193–1200.
Garner, W., Mowat, A.G. Wound healing after operations on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Bone Joint Surg, (Br.) 1973, 55, 134–143.
Charnley, J., Eftekhar, N. Postoperative infection in total prosthetic replacement arthroplasty of the hip joint. Br J Surg, 1969, 56, 641–649.
Freeman, P.A., Bryson, T.W. Total hip-joint replacement in osteoarthritis and polyarthritis. Clin Orthop, 1973, 95, 224–243.
Poss, R., Ewald, F.C., Sledge, C.B. Complications of total hip-replacement arthroplasty in patients with rheumaoid arthritis. J Bone Joint Surg, (Am.) 1976, 58, 1130–1133.
Ad Hoc Committee of the National Research Council. Postoperative wound infection. Ann Surg, 1964, suppl. 2.
Mitchell, C., Ehrlich, M.G., Siffert, R.S. Comparative bacteriology of early and late orthopaedic infections. Clin Orthop, 1973, 96, 277–287.
Laine, V., Vainio, K. Möglichkeiten, begrenzungen und aussichten der chrirurgischen behandlung des entzündlichen rheumatismus. Z Rheumatol, 1965, 3/4, 81–90.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hämäläinen, M., Raunio, P. & Von Essen, R. Postoperative wound infection in rheumatoid arthritis surgery. Clin Rheumatol 3, 329–335 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02032339
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02032339