The role of blood cultures in the acute evaluation of postoperative fever in arthroplasty patients
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
The Journal of arthroplasty
Abstract
The use of blood cultures to work up fever in postarthroplasty patients was studied retrospectively. Four hundred fifty-three patients done consecutively with a diagnosis-related group 209 discharge diagnosis were studied. One hundred patients (22%) had blood cultures drawn for fever greater than 101 degrees F. Specifically, there were 240 total knee arthroplasty patients with 40 blood cultures drawn. There were 124 total hip arthroplasty patients with 31 blood cultures drawn. One patient with a total knee arthroplasty had positive cultures as did one patient with a total hip arthroplasty. Both were thought to be contaminants, and neither had any sequelae. Blood cultures are expensive and do not add relevant information in the care of postarthroplasty patients.
First Page
701
Last Page
2
DOI
10.1016/j.arth.2006.09.007
Publication Date
8-1-2007
Recommended Citation
Bindelglass, David F. and Pellegrino, Jessica, "The role of blood cultures in the acute evaluation of postoperative fever in arthroplasty patients" (2007). All Research. 350.
https://scholar.bridgeporthospital.org/all_research/350
Identifier
17689779 (pubmed); 10.1016/j.arth.2006.09.007 (doi); S0883-5403(06)00693-0 (pii)