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. 2017 Dec 18;8(12):895-901.
doi: 10.5312/wjo.v8.i12.895.

Season of the year influences infection rates following total hip arthroplasty

Samuel Rosas  1 , Alvin C Ong  2 , Leonard T Buller  3 , Karim G Sabeh  3 , Tsun Yee Law  4 , Martin W Roche  5 , Victor H Hernandez  3
Affiliations

Season of the year influences infection rates following total hip arthroplasty

Samuel Rosas et al. World J Orthop. .

Abstract

Aim: To research the influence of season of the year on periprosthetic joint infections.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the entire Medicare files from 2005 to 2014. Seasons were classified as spring, summer, fall or winter. Regional variations were accounted for by dividing patients into four geographic regions as per the United States Census Bureau (Northeast, Midwest, West and South). Acute postoperative infection and deep periprosthetic infections within 90 d after surgery were tracked.

Results: In all regions, winter had the highest incidence of periprosthetic infections (mean 0.98%, SD 0.1%) and was significantly higher than other seasons in the Midwest, South and West (P < 0.05 for all) but not the Northeast (P = 0.358). Acute postoperative infection rates were more frequent in the summer and were significantly affected by season of the year in the West.

Conclusion: Season of the year is a risk factor for periprosthetic joint infection following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Understanding the influence of season on outcomes following THA is essential when risk-stratifying patients to optimize outcomes and reduce episode of care costs.

Keywords: Healthcare; Hip arthroplasty; Infection; Outcomes; Season.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: None of the authors report any conflict of interest with this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incidence of acute post-operative infection following total hip arthroplasty by region of the United States. Values are shown for the region, which had a significant difference. There was a significant difference in the incidence of acute postoperative infections by season in the West (P < 0.001). NE: North East; MW: Mid West; WE: West; SO: South.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Incidence of periprosthetic infection following total hip arthroplasty by region of the United States. Values are shown for the regions, which had a significant difference. There was a significant difference in periprosthetic joint infections in two out of the four regions, Midwest and South (P = 0.013 and P = 0.007 respectively). NE: North East; MW: Mid West; WE: West; SO: South.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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