The value of bacterial culture during clean orthopedic surgery: a prospective study of 1,036 patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether bacterial cultures of the wounds of patients undergoing clean orthopedic surgery would help predict infection.


METHODS
During 1 year, 1,256 cultures were performed for 1,102 patients who underwent clean orthopedic surgery. Results were analyzed to evaluate their ability to predict postoperative infection.


RESULTS
The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the cultures were 38%, 92%, 7%, and 99%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Cultures performed during clean orthopedic surgery were not useful for predicting postoperative infection.
Bernard
Louis
L
Orthopaedic Clinic, Division of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospital, 24 rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland.
Sadowski
Christophe
C
Monin
Daniel
D
Stern
Richard
R
Wyssa
Blaise
B
Rohner
Peter
P
Lew
Daniel
D
Hoffmeyer
Pierre
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013557:Switzerland