Abstract Background Patient comorbidities and medication intake impact on the mortality rate in revision surgery for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the lower limb. The present study collected data from patients who underwent revision surgery for PJI of total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Data regarding comorbidities and medication intake for each patient were collected to investigate whether comorbidities and medication intake influence in-hospital mortality in patients who underwent revision surgery for PJI of a THA or TKA. Methods The present study follows the STROBE Statement. Our institutional databases were searched using the OPS (operation and procedure codes) 5–823 and 5–821 in combination with the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) codes T84.5, T84.7 or T84.8. All patients with hip or knee implant infections who underwent revision surgery were retrospectively retrieved and included in the present study. Results Data from 346 patients were collected (181 THAs and 165 TKAs). Patients with renal insufficiency demonstrated a statistically significant greater risk of in-hospital mortality (95% CI 0.0131 to 0.1132), as did patients with a history of malignancy (95% CI 0.1478 to 0.7497), and patients with dementia (95% CI 0.0398 to 0.3791). Nicotine and alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, hereditary thrombophilia, hereditary haemorrhages, cerebrovascular diseases, coronary heart diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease osteoporosis, liver cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute dental infection did not influence in the in-hospital mortality rate in patients who underwent revision surgery for PJI of a THA or TKA. Patient medication therapy did not impact the risk of in-hospital mortality in PJI. Conclusion Patients undergoing revision surgery for PJI after total hip and knee arthroplasty show an increased in-hospital mortality in the presence of the following comorbidities: dementia, renal insufficiency, and history of malignancy. Based on the present results, further infection prevention and geriatric co-management strategies should be evaluated for patients undergoing revision arthroplasty of the hip and knee for PJI.
Migliorini et al. (Tue,) studied this question.