title: Wound healing after implant surgery in HIV-positive patients.
abstract: We performed a prospective, blind, controlled study on wound infection after implant surgery involving 41 procedures in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 141 in HIV-negative patients. The patients were staged clinically and the CD4 cell count determined. Wound infection was assessed using the asepsis wound score. A risk category was allocated to account for presurgical contamination. In HIV-positive patients, with no preoperative contamination, the incidence of wound infection (3.5%) was comparable with that of the HIV-negative group (5%; p = 0.396). The CD4 cell count did not affect the incidence of infection (r = 0.16). When there was preoperative contamination, the incidence of infection in HIV-positive patients increased markedly (42%) compared with that in HIV-negative patients (11%; p = 0.084). Our results show that when no contamination has occurred implant surgery may be undertaken safely in HIV-positive patients.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: C B D
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lavy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000276:immunology*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers