Considerations in reducing the infection rate in open tibial fractures

During the period from 1979 to 1980, 109 patients with open tibial fractures were treated by a cephalosporin and an aminoglycoside, and by saline and topical antibiotic wound irrigation; partial closure was used for Types I and II open tibial wounds, and all Type III wounds were left open. Stabiliza...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inClinical orthopaedics and related research no. 178; p. 36
Main Authors Patzakis, M J, Wilkins, J, Moore, T M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.1983
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Fracture Fixation - methods
Fractures, Open - complications
Humans
Infant
Male
Middle Aged
Premedication
Tibial Fractures - complications
Wound Infection - etiology
Wound Infection - prevention & control
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Summary:During the period from 1979 to 1980, 109 patients with open tibial fractures were treated by a cephalosporin and an aminoglycoside, and by saline and topical antibiotic wound irrigation; partial closure was used for Types I and II open tibial wounds, and all Type III wounds were left open. Stabilization was accomplished by plaster alone, external pins in plaster, or an external fixator with full transfixion pins. The overall infection rate was 4.5% (5 of 109 wounds) in this study. This represents a significant reduction from the previous infection rate of 14% in 254 open tibial fractures treated by the authors in previous years by all methods.
ISSN:0009-921X
DOI:10.1097/00003086-198309000-00006