Incidence, Risk Factors, and Sources of Sepsis Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

Abstract Background Sepsis is a rare but serious complication following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Common sources include urinary tract infection (UTI), surgical site infection (SSI), and pneumonia. The purpose of this study is to characterize the incidence, risk factors, and sources of sepsis following TJA. Methods Patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) during 2005-2013 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Independent associations were tested for using multivariate regression adjusting for baseline characteristics. Results 117,935 patients were identified (45,612 undergoing THA and 72,323 undergoing TKA). Of these, 402 (0.34%) developed sepsis following surgery. Patients who developed sepsis had an elevated mortality rate (3.7% versus 0.1%, p