title: Wound complications in elective orthopaedics: are current British national data relevant?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The UK Nosocomial Infection National Surveillance Service (NINSS) collects data on surgical wound infection in a variety of procedures, including arthroplasty, to allow comparison between institutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have compared the results of a 6-month data collection by NINSS within our department with our own grading system of wound complications in elective arthroplasty surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this period, NINSS has reported one wound infection in our patients. However, we have recorded five patients who were returned to theatre for wound debridement, and yielded positive cultures from multiple specimens. Seven patients received antibiotic therapy alone for wound problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present our wound grading system as suitable for the collection of data on wound complications in elective orthopaedic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Wansbeck General Hospital, Ashington, Northumberland, UK. clokes@talktalk.net
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cloke
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Partington
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003625:Data Collection; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents