The use of qualitative cultures for detecting infection in open tibial fractures.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the role of qualitative cultures for detecting infection in open tibial fractures.


METHODS
From January 2003 to December 2004, 95 men and 13 women (mean age, 34 years) with open tibial fractures in one or both limbs and without any other sites of infection were prospectively studied. Patients who had been treated with intravenous or oral antibiotics before presentation and/or had undergone debridement or other surgery were excluded.


RESULTS
Infection was not correlated with age, sex, interval from injury to debridement, and cause of fracture. The association of infection with predebridement cultures was stronger (odds ratio=12.5) than that with postdebridement cultures (odds ratio=4.7).


CONCLUSIONS
Pre- and post-debridement cultures have a role in detecting infection in open tibial fractures. For detecting infection, predebridement cultures have better sensitivity, while postdebridement cultures have better specificity.
D'Souza
A
A
Department of Orthopaedics, St John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, India.
Rajagopalan
N
N
Amaravati
R S
RS
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*