Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-m9pkr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-09T03:58:42.729Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Preoperative Low Molecular Weight Heparin as Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Patients at Risk for Prosthetic Infection After Knee Arthroplasty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Angel Asensio*
Affiliation:
Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain
Antonio Ramos
Affiliation:
Servicio de Medicina Interna III, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain
Elena Múñez
Affiliation:
Servicio de Medicina Interna III, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain
José L. Vilanova
Affiliation:
Servicio de Ortopedia y Traumatología, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain
Pedro Torrijos
Affiliation:
Servicio de Ortopedia y Traumatología, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain
Fernando J. Garcia
Affiliation:
Unidad de Epidemiologia, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain
*
Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, C/San Martin de Porres, 4, 28035 Madrid, Spainaasensio.hpth@salud.madrid.org

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the effect of preoperative initiation of low molecular weight heparin as prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis in patients at risk of developing surgical-site infections after knee arthroplasty.

Design:

Case–control study nested in a cohort. The incidence of surgical-site infection in the cohort was calculated. With the use of data extracted from medical histories and after adjustment for other risk factors, the effect of preoperative heparinization on the risk of incisional and prosthetic infection among case-patients and control-patients (1:3 ratio) was assessed.

Setting:

Orthopedic department in a tertiary-care referral hospital.

Patients:

A cohort of 160 consecutive patients who had received prosthetic knee implants between October 1, 2001, and November 30, 2003.

Results:

Eighteen patients with surgical-site infections were identified, yielding an incidence of incisional and prosthetic infection of 6.9 (95% confidence interval [CI95], 3.5 to 12.0) and 4.4 (CI95,1.8 to 8.8) cases per 100 patients undergoing surgery, respectively. Surgical-site infection was associated with preoperative use of low molecular weight heparin (odds ratio [OR], 6.2 after adjustment for medical and surgical factors; CI95, 1.5 to 23). Prosthetic infection was strongly associated with preoperative use of prophylaxis (OR, undetermined [100% exposure in case-patients vs 35% exposure in control-patients]; P = .002), but incisional surgical-site infection was not.

Conclusion:

The use of low molecular weight heparins immediately before knee arthroplasty as prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis should be questioned because of probable increased risk of prosthetic infection.

Type
Orginal Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Taylor, S, Pearce, P, McKenzie, M, Taylor, G. Wound infection after joint arthroplasty: effect of extended wound surveillance on wound infection rates. Can J Surg 1994;37:217220.Google Scholar
2.Gaine, WJ, Ramamohan, NA, Hussein, NA, Hullin, MG, McCreath, SW. Wound infection in hip and knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Br 2000;82(B):561565.Google Scholar
3.Peersman, G, Laskin, R, Davis, J, Peterson, M. Infection in total knee replacement: a retrospective review of 6,489 total knee replacements. Clin Ortkop 2001;392:1523.Google Scholar
4.Friedman, C, Sturm, LK, Chenoweth, C. Electronic chart review as an aid to postdischarge surgical site surveillance: increased case finding. Am J Infect Control 2001;29:329332.Google Scholar
5.National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System. National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system report: data summary from January 1992 to June 2002, issued August 2002. Am J Infect Control 2002;30:458475.Google Scholar
6.Kreder, HJ, Grosso, P, Williams, JI, et al.Provider volume and other predictors of outcome after total knee arthroplasty: a population study in Ontario. Can J Surg 2003;46:1522.Google ScholarPubMed
7.Brandt, C, Hansen, S, Sohr, D, Daschner, F, Rüden Gastmeier, P. Finding a method for optimizing risk adjustment when comparing surgical-site infection rates. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2004;25:313318.Google Scholar
8.Thomas, C, Cadwallader, HL, Riley, TV. Surgical-site infections after orthopaedic surgery: statewide surveillance using linked administrative databases. J Hosp Infect 2004;57:2530.Google Scholar
9.Sculco, TP. The economic impact of infected joint arthroplasty. Orthopedics 1995;18:871873.Google Scholar
10.Zufferey, P, Laporte, S, Quenet, S, et al.Optimal low-molecular-weight heparin regimen in major orthopaedic surgery: a meta-analysis of randomised trials. Thromb Haemost 2003;90:654661.Google Scholar
11.Raskob, GE, Hirsh, J. Controversies in timing of the first dose of anticoagulant prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism after major orthopedic surgery. Chest 2003;124:379S385S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Strebel, N, Prins, M, Agnelly, G, Biiller, R. Preoperative or postoperative start of prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism with low-molecular-weight heparin in elective hip surgery? Arch Intern Med 2002;162:14511456.Google Scholar
13.Saleh, K, Olson, M, Resig, S, et al.Predictors of wound infection in hip and knee joint replacement: results from a 20 year surveillance program. J Orthop Res 2002;20:506515.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Minnema, B, Vearncombe, M, Augustin, A, Gollish, G, Simor, AE. Risk factors for surgical-site infection following primary total knee arthroplasty. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2004;25:477480.Google Scholar
15.Horan, TC, Gaynes, RP, Martone, WJ, Jarvis, WR, Emori, TG. CDC definitions of nosocomial surgical site infections, 1992: a modification of CDC definitions of surgical wound infections. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1992;13:606608.Google Scholar
16.Hosmer, DV, Lemeshow, S. Model-building strategies and methods for logistic regression. In: Hosmer, DV, ed. Applied Logistic Regression. New York: Wiley and Sons; 1989:82134.Google Scholar
17.Gordon, SM, Culver, DH, Simmonds, BP, Jarvis, WR. Risk factors for wound infection after total knee arthroplasty. Am J Epidemiol 1990;131:905916.Google Scholar
18.Rasul, AT Jr, Tsukayama, D, Gustilo, RB. Effect of time of onset and depth of infection on the outcome of total knee arthroplasty infections. Clin Orthop 1991;273:98104.Google Scholar
19.Sanderson, PJ. Infection in orthopedic implants. J Hosp Infect 1991;18 (suppl A):367375.Google Scholar
20.Geubbels, EL, Bakker, HG, Houtman, P, et al.Promoting quality through surveillance of surgical site infections: five prevention success stories. Am J Infect Control 2004;32:424430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Rothman, KJ, Greenland, S. Precision and validity in epidemiologic studies. In: Rothman, KJ, Greenland, S, eds. Modern Epidemiology, ed. 2. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1998.Google Scholar
22.Burns, SJ, Dippe, SE. Post-operative wound infections detected during hospitalization and after discharge in a community hospital. Am J Infect Control 1982;10:6065.Google Scholar
23.Mangram, AJ, Horan, TC, Pearson, ML, Silver, LC, Jarvis, WR. Guideline for surgical site prevention, 1999. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1999;20:250278.Google Scholar
24.Garcia-Lechuz, J, Alonso, P, Goyanes, MJ, et al.Infection on joint prosthesis: a clinical and microbiological retrospective study. Enferm In-fecc Microbiol Clin 2004;22(suppl 1):121.Google Scholar