Association between VTE and antibiotic prophylaxis guideline compliance and patient-reported outcomes after total hip and knee arthroplasty: an observational study

Abstract

Plain English Summary Guidelines exist to advise surgeons on how to prevent blood clots and infections for people having total hip and knee joint replacements (arthroplasty surgery). Adhering to these guidelines is associated with a reduced chance of people experiencing blood clots and infections. However, it is not known if guideline compliance affects outcomes reported by the person, including changes in pain, functioning, mobility, and quality of life. This study aimed to determine whether care that adheres to guidelines to prevent blood clots and infection improves the pain, function and quality of life outcomes reported by the person. We assessed the relationship between compliance to these guidelines and outcomes reported by patients in 1838 patients undergoing primary elective hip or knee joint replacement in Australia. When care does not adhere to guidelines to prevent blood clots, the scores on measures of pain and disability due to the operated joint and general quality of life are slightly, but not meaningfully, lower. Care that adheres to guidelines to prevent infection does not affect outcomes reported by the person.

Keywords

• Patient-reported outcome measures
• Total knee arthroplasty
• Total hip arthroplasty
• Complications
• Prevention
• Surgical site infection