title: The value of bacterial culture during clean orthopedic surgery: a prospective study of 1,036 patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Clinic, Division of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospital, 24 rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sadowski
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Monin
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Blaise
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wyssa
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rohner
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoffmeyer
mesh_terms: 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