Should a Urinary Tract Infection Be Treated before a Total Joint Arthroplasty?

Indwelling Catheters Should Be Restricted in Primary and Revision Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Analysis After Changes to Hospital Standard Perioperative Treatment Protocol

Background: Indwelling catheters are used in the perioperative management of patients treated with total joint arthroplasty (TJA) to facilitate fluid control, ease postoperative miction until patients are able to ambulate, and prevent postoperative urinary retention (POUR). However, in TJA, they may be associated with a higher risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). The aim of the study was to analyze the rates of urinary tract infections and POUR. Methods: Between 2021 and 2022, this study retrospectively identified patients before and after a change in the hospital standard perioperative treatment protocol towards a more restrictive use of indwelling catheters for TJA. In 2021, the use of indwelling catheters involved standard care, but the use was restricted in 2022. Results: A total of 1521 patients were included: 636 patients (41.8%) underwent primary arthroplasty, 646 (42.5%) underwent revision arthroplasty, and 239 (15.7%) underwent hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures. Standard use of indwelling catheters significantly decreased from 62.0% to 38.0% (p < 0.001), and the rate of UTI was significantly lower after the protocol change (4.7% vs. 1.2%; p < 0.001). Perioperative urine catheterization was a significant risk factor for UTI (OR = 4.22; p < 0.001), and UTI was a significant risk factor for PJI (OR = 9.99; p < 0.001). POUR increased slightly from 0.9% to 1.8%, but the difference was not significant. POUR was mostly diagnosed following the exchange of the acetabular component in revision arthroplasty (n = 11; 52.4%). Conclusions: Indwelling catheter use was associated with high rates of UTIs. Restricting perioperative use of indwelling catheters was effective in preventing UTIs while causing only a moderate increase in easily treatable postoperative urinary retention. Therefore, the use of indwelling catheters should be avoided in arthroplasty whenever possible.

Perioperative Nursing Management of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes joint inflammation, pain, and potential disability. Patients with RA have unique needs when undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Careful and comprehensive evaluation and management includes physical assessment, patient history, and knowledge about the medication regimen in the setting of elective TJA. Nursing care is critical to patients with RA in the perioperative period. Nursing interventions can improve patient outcomes and reduce potential risks related to the RA and the surgical procedure. Registered nurses must be knowledgeable about the pathophysiology and pharmacological management of patients with RA to provide appropriate nursing care.

Incontinence Is an Independent Risk Factor for Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

Background

Urinary incontinence has been linked to worse postoperative pain, decreased physical function, and reduced quality of life in patients following total joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether incontinence is associated with increased postoperative medical and joint complications following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a national insurance database. Thirty-two thousand eight hundred eleven patients with incontinence who underwent primary THA were identified and matched 1:4 with 129,073 patients without incontinence. Ninety-one thousand nine hundred thirty-five patients with incontinence who underwent primary TKA were matched 1:4 with 367,285 patients without incontinence. Medical and joint complication rates at 90 days and 2 years, respectively, were then compared for patient cohorts using multivariable logistic regressions.

Results

Patients who underwent primary THA with incontinence had statistically higher rates of dislocation, periprosthetic fracture, aseptic revisions, and overall joint complications compared to controls. Patients who underwent primary TKA with incontinence had higher rates of mechanical failure, aseptic revision, and all-cause revision compared to controls.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated an association between patients with incontinence and higher rates of dislocation, periprosthetic fractures, aseptic revisions, and overall joint complications following primary THA compared to controls. Patients with incontinence experience higher rates of mechanical failure, aseptic revision, and all-cause revision following TKA compared to controls. As such, perioperative management of urinary incontinence may help mitigate the risk of postoperative complications.

Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Is Not Associated With a Higher Risk of Periprosthetic Joint Infections and Periprosthetic Joint Infection-related Revisions After Primary THA

BACKGROUND

Symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (sBPH) is a potential risk factor for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), a leading cause of implant failure and revision THA. However, the available evidence is mixed on whether this is the case.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) What is the prevalence of sBPH in male recipients of primary THA by age group? (2) Do patients with sBPH compared with those without sBPH have higher 30-day, 90-day, and 2-year odds of PJI and higher 30-day and 90-day odds of urinary catheterization, urinary tract infection (UTI), and sepsis after primary THA? (3) Do patients with sBPH compared with those without sBPH have lower survivorship free from PJI-related revision at 5 years after THA?

METHODS

The PearlDiver database was used as it provided the largest sample of patients across all payer types to perform longitudinal research. Between January 2010 and April 2021, 1,056,119 patients who underwent primary THA were identified. After applying the inclusion criteria (that is, male sex, minimum age of 18, and diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis) and exclusion criteria (that is, history of asymptomatic BPH or any other joint arthroplasty), 16% (172,866) of patients remained. A further 6% (59,500) of patients were excluded as they did not meet the minimum study follow-up of 2 years, leaving 11% (113,366) for analysis. Of those, patients with sBPH were matched to those without in a 1:4 ratio by age and comorbidities, including alcohol abuse, anemia, cardiovascular disorders, chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, depression, obesity, peripheral vascular disorders, renal failure, and rheumatoid arthritis. Age and comorbidities of the two groups postmatch were balanced. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the odds for 30-day, 90-day, and 2-year postoperative complications. Survivorship free from PJI-related revision at 5 years after THA was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test.

RESULTS

Among male recipients of primary THA ages 65 or older, 24% (11,319 of 47,426) had a medical history of sBPH. We found no difference in the odds of PJI at 30 days, 90 days, and 2 years after primary THA between the two groups. PJI occurred in 0.5% (62 of 11,819), 0.8% (97 of 11,819), and 1.3% (150 of 11,819) of patients with sBPH versus in 0.5% (227 of 47,103), 0.8% (360 of 47,103), and 1.2% (570 of 47,103) of those without sBPH within 30 days (OR 1.09 [95% CI 0.82 to 1.43]), 90 days (OR 1.07 [95% CI 0.85 to 1.34]), and 2 years (OR 1.05 [95% CI 0.87 to 1.25]) after THA, respectively. Patients with sBPH compared with those without had higher odds of 30-day and 90-day urinary catheterization (OR 5.00 [95% CI 3.64 to 6.88] and OR 5.36 [95% CI 4.04 to 7.13], respectively), 30-day and 90-day UTI (OR 2.18 [95% CI 1.88 to 2.54] and OR 2.55 [95% CI 2.26 to 2.87], respectively), and 30-day and 90-day sepsis (OR 1.55 [95% CI 1.11 to 2.13] and OR 1.43 [95% CI 1.10 to 1.83], respectively). We found no difference in survival free from PJI-related revision at 5 years after THA between patients with and without sBPH (98.3% [95% CI 98.1% to 98.6%] versus 98.1% [95% CI 98.1% to 98.2%]; p = 0.10).

CONCLUSION

sBPH is common among THA recipients, and surgeons should be aware of the added risk of postoperative urinary complications and sepsis in this subset that could lead to additional postoperative care requirements. Surgeons may consider perioperative measures such as preoperative use of short-form questionnaires to assess urinary symptoms, urology clearance or referral, and closer follow-up to improve care of sBPH patients undergoing THA. As currently available tools for assessing sBPH are limited and lack sensitivity as well as specificity, future studies may develop validated tools that can be used to quickly assess risk in sBPH patients before surgery.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

Impact of preoperative urinary tract infection on postoperative outcomes following total shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis

Introduction

As the utilization of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) increases, it is essential to identify risk factors associated with postoperative complications. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one such example. Our objective is to identify whether UTI is associated with increased rates of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) and determine whether its treatment reduces PJI rates.

Methods

Patients who underwent primary TSA for glenohumeral osteoarthritis between 2010 and 2019 with minimum two-year follow-up were identified in a national database (PearlDiver Technologies) using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases codes. These patients were stratified into two cohorts: those with preoperative UTI within two weeks of TSA and those without. The preoperative UTI cohort was stratified into those treated and those untreated prior to TSA. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed.

Results

Following multivariable analysis, there were significantly higher odds of postoperative anemia, pulmonary embolism, and death in the UTI cohort. Comparing treated to untreated UTI, there were no significant differences in multivariable analysis for any 90-day medical or two-year surgical complications.

Discussion

This study showed that UTI was not associated with increased rates of PJI. UTI was, however, associated with postoperative medical complications that surgeons should be aware of.

Knowledge and attitudes of orthopedic surgeons regarding prosthesis joint infection

BACKGROUND

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a critical complication after joint arthroplasty and is accompanied by increasing rates of morbidity and mortality. Several studies have aimed at preventing PJI.

AIM

To research the knowledge level and attitudes of orthopedic surgeons, who play a key role in both preventing and managing PJI.

METHODS

We conducted a web-based survey to evaluate orthopedic surgeons' knowledge level and attitudes regarding PJI. The Likert scale survey utilized consisted of 30 questions which were prepared based on the "Proceedings of the International Consensus on Periprosthetic Joint Infection".

RESULTS

A total of 264 surgeons participated in the survey. Their average age was 44.8, and 173 participants (65.5%) had more than 10 years of experience. No statistically significant relationship was found between the PJI knowledge of the surgeons and their years of experience. However, participants who worked in training and research hospitals demonstrated higher levels of knowledge than the ones in the state hospitals. It was also noticed that surgeons' knowledge concerning the duration of antibiotic therapy and urinary infections was not consistent with their attitudes.

CONCLUSION

Even though orthopedic surgeons have adequate knowledge about preventing and managing PJI, their attitudes might contradict their knowledge. Future studies are required to examine the causes and solutions of the contradictions between orthopedic surgeons' knowledge and attitudes.

Predicting Need for Skilled Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility after Outpatient Total Hip Arthroplasty

Purpose

Outpatient classified total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a safe option for a select group of patients. An analysis of a national database was conducted to understand the risk factors for unplanned discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) or acute rehabilitation (rehab) after outpatient classified THA.

Materials and Methods

A query of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database for THA (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] 27130) performed from 2015 to 2018 was conducted. Patient demographics, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, functional status, NSQIP morbidity probability, operative time, length of stay (LOS), 30-day reoperation rate, readmission rate, and associated complications were collected.

Results

A total of 2,896 patients underwent outpatient classified THA. The mean age of patients was 61.2 years. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 29.6 kg/m² with median ASA 2. The results of univariate comparison of SNF/rehab versus home discharge showed that a significantly higher percentage of females (58.7% vs. 46.8%), age >70 years (49.3% vs. 20.9%), ASA ≥3 (58.0% vs. 25.8%), BMI >35 kg/m² (23.3% vs. 16.2%), and hypoalbuminemia (8.0% vs. 1.5%) (P<0.0001) were discharged to SNF/rehab. The results of multivariable logistic regression showed that female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.47; P=0.03), age >70 years (OR 3.08; P=0.001), ASA ≥3 (OR 2.56; P=0.001), and preoperative hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dL) (OR 3.76; P=0.001) were independent risk factors for SNF/rehab discharge.

Conclusion

Risk factors associated with discharge to a SNF/rehab after outpatient classified THA were identified. Surgeons will be able to perform better risk stratification for patients who may require additional postoperative intervention.

The Timing of Preoperative Urinary Tract Infection Influences the Risk of Prosthetic Joint Infection Following Primary Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

The importance of preoperative urinary tract infection (UTI) in total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) is controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the timing of preoperative UTI diagnosis and association with prosthetic joint infection (PJI) and determine if antibiotics impact this risk.

METHODS

A national database was used to analyze patients undergoing THA and TKA diagnosed with a preoperative UTI. Timing of diagnosis was categorized by 1-week intervals prior to surgery. Matched cohorts without UTI were collected, and PJI rates within 2 years of surgery were compared. Patients who received antibiotic prescriptions were identified and compared to no prescription.

RESULTS

Preoperative UTI within 1 week of TKA was associated with higher rates of PJI (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-1.43, P < .001). Preoperative UTI within 1 week of THA (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.44-1.68, P < .001) and between 1-2 weeks prior to THA (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.22, P = .022) was associated with significantly higher rates of PJI. UTI diagnosis at any other time interval did not reach statistical significance. Antibiotic prescription was not associated with lower rates of PJI.

CONCLUSION

Patients with preoperative UTI within 1 week of TKA or within 2 weeks of THA have an increased risk of postoperative PJI. Antibiotics do not appear to mitigate risk.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III; Retrospective, database comparison.

Impact of a mobile decision support tool on antimicrobial stewardship indicators in St. John's, Canada

Objectives

Inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to antimicrobial resistance. The Spectrum^TM app provides antibiotic decision support, based on local antimicrobial resistance rates. We determined the impact of regional implementation of the app on inpatient antimicrobial appropriateness, inpatient antimicrobial usage (AMU), population-based Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) rates and cost, using a retrospective, before and after quasi-experimental design, including a one-year study period.

Methods

The Spectrum^TM app was released to prescribers in February, 2019. We performed two one-day inpatient point prevalence surveys using the National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey tool, six months before (June 25, 2018) and six months after (June 25, 2019) app dissemination. Inpatient AMU in Defined Daily Dose/1000 patient days and CDI incidence were compared, before and after app dissemination.

Results

The pre-survey included 184 prescriptions, and the post-survey included 197 prescriptions. Appropriateness was 97/176 (55.1%) pre, and 126/192 (65.6%) post (+10.5%, p = 0.051). Inpatient AMU declined by 6.6 DDD/1000 patient days per month, and CDI declined by 0.3 cases per month. Cost savings associated with reduced AMU were $403.98/bed/year and associated with reduced CDI were $82,078/year.

Conclusion

We observed improvement in antimicrobial stewardship indicators following Spectrum^TM implementation. We cannot determine the cause of these improvements.

Using implementation science to develop and implement a guideline to reduce unnecessary preoperative testing for asymptomatic bacteriuria prior to elective arthroplasty

Introduction: Guidelines and consensus statements do not support routine preoperative testing for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) prior to elective arthroplasty. Despite this, urine testing remains commonplace in orthopaedic practice. This mixed methods stepwise quality improvement project aimed to develop and implement a guideline to reduce unnecessary preoperative testing for asymptomatic bacteriuria prior to elective arthroplasty within a single centre. Methods: Step 1 - description of current practice in preoperative urine testing prior to arthroplasty within a single centre; Step 2 - examination of the association between preoperative urine culture and pathogens causing prosthetic joint infection (PJI); Step 3 - co-design of a guideline to reduce unnecessary preoperative testing for asymptomatic bacteriuria prior to elective arthroplasty; Step 4 - implementation of a sustainable guideline to reduce unnecessary preoperative testing for asymptomatic bacteriuria prior to elective arthroplasty. Results: Retrospective chart review showed inconsistency in mid-stream urine (MSU) testing prior to elective arthroplasty (49 % preoperative MSU sent) and in antimicrobial prescribing for urinary tract infection (UTI) and ASB. No association was observed between organisms isolated from urine and joint aspirate in confirmed cases of PJI. Co-design of a guideline and decision support tool supported through an implementation strategy resulted in rapid uptake and adherence. Sustainability was demonstrated at 6 months. Conclusion: In this stepwise study, implementation science methodology was used to challenge outdated clinical practice, achieving a sustained reduction in unnecessary preoperative urine testing for ASB prior to elective arthroplasty.

Dual Surgical Setup May Improve Infection Control Rate of Debridement and Implant Retention Procedures for Periprosthetic Infections of the Hip and Knee

BACKGROUND

Debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) is an appealing treatment option for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) due to its low cost and low morbidity. There are many nonmodifiable risk factors for DAIR failure that have previously been established. A dual DAIR setup constitutes establishing a new, sterile field after the initial debridement. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the modifiable surgical technique of a dual setup improves the infection control rate following PJI.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2017 to identify patients who underwent a DAIR procedure as initial surgical treatment for PJI of the hip or knee. Patients were divided between 2 groups, failed and successful DAIR procedures. Failure was defined as infection recurrence requiring surgical intervention. Demographic (age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, American Society of Anesthesiologists status), preoperative comorbidity (hypertension, cardiac disease, diabetes status, depression or anxiety diagnosis, pulmonary disease), operating surgeon, single vs dual setup, hospital, use of long-term antibiotics postoperatively (greater than 6 weeks of intravenous antibiotics), joint, and laterality data were compared between cohorts using multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty-three patients were identified who underwent DAIR as the exclusive and initial treatment for PJI. Single vs dual setup, knee vs hip joint, cardiac or vascular disease diagnosis, major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis, and staphylococcal infections were found to be independent predictive variables for DAIR failure.

CONCLUSION

In our series, the dual setup DAIR was a modifiable surgical technique that significantly decreased the risk of infection recurrence compared to single setup DAIR.

Assessment of periprosthetic joint infection prevention methods amongst Turkish orthopedic surgeons in total joint replacement: A survey

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to assess the methods employed by Turkish orthopedic surgeons to prevent periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The data obtained for this study, conducted between January 2019 and February 2019, were gathered by sending out an online survey to Turkish Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology members (n=2,267). A total of 354 orthopedic surgeons responded and completed survey. The survey had 23 questions which include the experience, academic position, hospital where the physician works, monthly arthroplasty numbers, and infection prevention methods employed before, during, and after surgery.

RESULTS

The period for antibiotics prophylaxis showed variability, with about 63% of surgeons using prophylaxis longer than 24 hours. In terms of academic position, 52.4% of professors and 52.8% of associate professors used prophylaxis for the first 24 hours whereas this rate was 31.3% in operators (p=0.01). Of surgeons, 50.7% who perform more than 10 arthroplasties per month and 33.6% of surgeons who perform less than 11 arthroplasties per month used 24-hour antibiotic prophylaxis (p=0.006). Blood glucose level assessment prior to surgery was performed by the majority of surgeons (94%). A total of 118 orthopedic surgeons (33.3%) performed methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decolonization with 54.7% of associate professors, 59.5% of professors, and 24.7% of operators (p=0.001). Only 60 surgeons (16.9%) checked vitamin D levels.

CONCLUSION

Our study results demonstrated that the majority of orthopedic surgeons in Turkey do not follow the antibiotic prophylaxis recommendations and they use antibiotic prophylaxis for longer periods. Professors and associate professors, and surgeons with higher monthly arthroplasty numbers than surgeons with lower monthly arthroplasty numbers follow the recommended periods more than their counterparts. Most surgeons assess blood glucose levels whereas a small number of surgeons perform MRSA decolonization and check vitamin D levels.

Does Intermittent Catheterization Compared to Indwelling Catheterization Decrease the Risk of Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Total Knee Arthroplasty?

BACKGROUND

Catheterization for the prophylaxis against or treatment for urinary retention commonly occurs after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Recent studies have questioned the use of the indwelling catheterization, especially in its potential role as a nidus for infection. We are still unsure of its downstream effects on periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Therefore, this study aimed to compare the risks of postoperative PJI following intermittent vs indwelling catheterization after TKA.

METHODS

Between 2017 and 2019, 15 hospitals in a large health system collected data on patients undergoing TKA. Patient treatments with indwelling catheter only, intermittent straight catheter only, and both indwelling and intermittent straight catheterizations were recorded. Patient demographics, comorbidities, body mass indices, and PJIs were collected from time of surgery to time of data collection at mean 14 months of follow-up. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with independent t-tests and multiple linear regression models to compare catheterization treatment types.

RESULTS

A total of 9123 TKAs were performed, with patients receiving indwelling catheter only (62%, n = 734), intermittent straight catheter only (25%, n = 299), or both indwelling and intermittent catheterizations (13%, n = 160). Univariate analyses showed that PJIs occurred in 1.1% of no-catheter patients and 2.3% of patients treated with bladder catheterization (P = .002). Using multivariate analyses, indwelling catheter use (odds ratio [OR] 2.647, P < .001), diabetes (OR 1.837, P = .005), and peripheral vascular disease (OR 2.372, P = .046) were found to have a statistically significant increased risk for PJIs. The use of intermittent straight catheterization (OR 1.249, P = .668) or both indwelling and intermittent (OR 1.171, P = .828) did not increase the risk for PJIs.

CONCLUSION

Urinary bladder catheterization is commonly required for prophylaxis against or treatment for urinary retention following TKA. The use of a urinary catheter can provide a potential nidus for infection in these patients. This study found that indwelling catheterization, but not intermittent catheterization, was associated with an increased risk for PJI. Surgeons should therefore limit the duration of catheterization in an effort to decrease the risk for PJI.