title: Postoperative infection in patients undergoing inspection of orthopedic damage due to external fixation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a retrospective analysis on cases undergoing inspection of orthopedic damage, at an orthopedic emergency service in a teaching hospital, with the aim of evaluating patients with postoperative infection after conversion to internal osteosynthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective analysis covering the period from June 2012 to June 2013, on patients who underwent inspection of orthopedic damage due to external fixation and subsequently were converted to definitive osteosynthesis using a nail or plate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found an infection rate of 13.3% in our sample and, furthermore, found that there had been technical errors in setting up the fixator in 60.4% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found an infection rate that we considered high, along with inadequacies in constructing the external fixator. We emphasize that this procedure is not risk-free and that training for physicians who perform this procedure should be mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Noel Oizerovici
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Foni
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Felipe Augusto Ribeiro
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luís Henrique Camargo
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rossato
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Octavio Soares
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Hungria
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Tomanik
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mercadante
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ralph Walter
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Christian
keywords: External fixators; Infection; Internal fracture fixation