J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2005 Aug;40(4):428-433.

Short-term Prophylactic Antibiotics in Total Hip Arthroplasty

• Chang JS
• Kim YS
• Shon HC
• Kim JW
• Chung SY
• Park JH

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to determine an adequate period of prophylactic antibiotics administration in order to prevent postoperative acute infection in total hip arthroplasty patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the periods of antibiotics administration was performed in 467 cases. They were divided into three groups: those who received antibiotics more than hours postoperatively (group I), up to 48 hours postoperatively (group II), and those received antibiotics only on the day of the surgery (group III). The antibiotics used was first generation cephalosporin empirically. RESULTS: An Infection occurred in 2 out of 229 cases in group I. One case had an acute superficial infection, which was treated with soft tissue surgery. Another case had delayed deep infection, which occurred 15 months after surgery. There was 1 case of an acute superficial infection out of 197 cases in Group had . There was no infections in the 41 cases in Group III. CONCLUSION: The prophylactic antibiotic effect in group III was similar to those in group I and II. The level of resistance, the number of drug side effects and the economic benefits can be improved by shortening the period of antibiotics use.

Keyword

Total hip arthroplasty; Infection; Antibiotics

MeSH Terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents*
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip*
Humans
Retrospective Studies
Anti-Bacterial Agents