ABSTRACT
Introduction: Identifying and determining appropriate treatment of adult hip septic arthritis (SA) can be quite challenging. Although rare, the annual incidence of this diagnosis is approximately 8 cases per 100,000 patients. The timing of patient symptoms is wide spread. The presentation may be acute, subacute, or even chronic, and moreover, the disease process may be masked by an underlying etiology. Once diagnosed, SA requires rapid and aggressive treatment. Case Report: A 67-year-old patient presented with left hip pain. Physical examination shifted the differential diagnosis from osteoarthritis to a possible septic joint. Elevated inflammatory markers were revealed. Joint aspiration was obtained, which demonstrated rare Group G streptococcus. Two-stage hip arthroplasty was performed. Intra-operative cultures still reveal no growth of bacteria, and the patient is progressing well. Conclusion: Adult septic hip arthritis is a rare diagnosis. Hence, a proper history, physical examination, infectious laboratory workup is important. The treatment of the condition is based on the duration of symptoms and the physician's clinical gestalt.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: Despite declining frequency of blood transfusion and electrolyte supplementation following total joint arthroplasty, postoperative blood analyses are still routinely ordered for these patients. This study aimed to determine the rate of blood transfusion and electrolyte restoration in arthroplasty patients treated with a perioperative blood conservation protocol and to identify risk factors that would predict the need for transfusion and electrolyte supplementation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing primary total joint arthroplasty of the hip or knee between July 2016 and February 2017 at a single institution were included in the study. Standard preoperative and postoperative laboratory data were collected and reviewed retrospectively. A uniform blood conservation programme was implemented for all patients. Need for blood transfusion or potassium supplementation was determined through a coordinated decision by the care team. Rates of transfusion and supplementation were observed, and patient risk factors were noted. RESULTS: The overall rate of blood transfusion was 1.06% in the study population of 1132 total joint arthroplasties performed in 1023 patients. Of the 12 patients requiring transfusion, 11 were female, ten occurred in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, and all 12 patients had a preoperative haemoglobin level less than 130 g/l. Operative duration and surgical blood loss were significantly greater in those patients requiring blood transfusion. Nearly all patients requiring transfusion had a history of, or risk factors for, cardiovascular disease. Potassium supplementation was required in 15.5% of the study cohort; 72% of these patients receiving potassium presented with a potassium level less than 4 mmol/l during preoperative testing, while the remaining 28% had a past medical history of either significant anaemia, cardiopulmonary, cardiovascular, or renal diseases that had required substantial medical management. CONCLUSION: A consistent blood-conserving perioperative strategy effectively minimized need for blood transfusion in total joint arthroplasty patients below previously reported rates in the literature. We suggest that postoperative full blood counts and basic metabolic panels should not routinely be ordered in these patients unless their preoperative haemoglobin and potassium is below 130 g/dl or 4 mmol/l respectively, and they have medical comorbidities.
