A study of the wound environment during total hip arthroplasty. Issue 611 (September 1976)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McLauchlan, J.; Smylie, H. G.; Logie, J. R. C.; Smith, G.
• Is Part Of: Postgraduate medical journal. Volume 52:Issue 611(1976)
• Page Start: 550
• Page End: 557
• Publication Date: 1976-09
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1136/pgmj.52.611.550
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-5473

Abstract

Abstract : Two hundred and seventeen total hip replacements were performed during a trial designed to assess the influence of a surgical isolator upon postoperative wound infection. The trial was controlled by performing 108 of the replacements in a standard plenum-ventilated theatre with twenty air changes/hr, which also housed the isolator procedures. Comparative postoperative wound infection rates were 6·4% for the isolator patients and 4·6% for those operated on in the plenum-ventilated theatre. There was intraoperative wound contamination in both groups of patients and, although the isolator reduced wound contamination at operation, this bore no relationship to eventual wound sepsis.