RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Is homologous blood transfusion a risk factor for infection after hip replacement?
JF Canadian Journal of Surgery
JO CAN J SURG
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 355
OP 358
VO 44
IS 5
A1 Dan Steinitz
A1 Edward J. Harvey
A1 Ross K. Leighton
A1 David P. Petrie
YR 2001
UL http://canjsurg.ca/content/44/5/355.abstract
AB Objectives: To assess the risk of postoperative infection associated with blood transfusion in patients who undergo primary total hip arthroplasty.Design: A retrospective cohort study.Setting: Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, (a tertiary-care centre).Patients: All patients who underwent primary total hip replacement between 1990 and 1995 (N = 1206).Interventions: Hip replacement with or without perioperative blood transfusion.Outcome measures: The rate of postoperative infection, the number of blood transfusions, patient age and sex, duration of surgery and the surgeon who performed the procedure. Victoria General Hospital medical records, the transfusion services record and the Dalhousie University Hip Study databases were integrated and analyzed using a standard statistical package.Results: The incidence of infection postoperative was 9.9% overall, 8.4% in patients receiving no transfusion, and 14% in those receiving homologous transfusion (p = 0.035). There were no infections in the 11 patients who received an autologous blood transfusion. Significant predictors of postoperative infection were sex, age and duration of surgery; these were not confounding variables (χ2 multivariate analysis). Neither the operating surgeon nor the blood product transfused affected the infection rate.Conclusions: These findings suggest an increased risk of postoperative infection in patients who undergo primary hip replacement and receive homologous blood transfusions perioperatively.