Be Vigilant of infection after Artificial Joint Replacement Surgery
Replacement of diseased joints had become common orthopaedic procedures and helped to control pain and improved functions of the affected extremities. As for any surgical procedures, they stand chance of infection. An infected joint replacement will ultimately affect the success and outcome of the operation. Our body will take the implanted joint prosthesis as foreign. Any bacteria that happened to colonize the implant will not be accessible for eradication by the body immunity system nor the antibiotics circulating in the blood stream. Patient will most probably need hospital admission for surgical clearance of the infection and the infected implant.
Prevention is the best care for infection. Strict aseptic techniques and sterile environment should be a standard provision in joint replacement surgery. Use of prophylactic antibiotics helps to minimize chance of early infection, and hence possible late infection.
However, many patients may not aware that a successfully implanted joint prosthesis in the body can contact bacteria from other parts o f the body. The bacteria can reach the prosthesis being carried through the blood stream. A common scenario is artificial knee joint or artificial hip joint got infected from infection in the foot. Patients with joint replacement surgery should be always on the alert for any open wound on the body. Should it become infected, the joint implant may be secondarily infected. He has to consult his orthopaedic surgeon whenever there is any infected focus in the body. An invasive procedures on visceral organs such as dental surgery, urinary tract manipulations or endoscopic procedures on the gastrointestinal tract may implant the normal bacterial flora in these cavities to the blood stream ( bacteremia) and may colonize the implant. Patient should seek advice before such procedures and coverage with prophylactic antibiotics may be mandatory in order to avert secondary infection to the implants.
Dr. NG, Tsz-pui