In a study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, infection rates may be effectively decreased in open fractures with the use of systematic antibiotics administered along with local aqueous aminoglycoside.
Researchers retrospectively collected data of 351 open fractures identified by Current Procedural Terminology codes 11012 and 11011, of which the control group was comprised of 183 fractures which received only systemic antibiotics. Patients in the intervention group, which included 168 fractures, received systemic antibiotics along with 2 mg/mL of aminoglycoside administered locally during the index surgery. Data collected from medical records included demographics, injury characteristics, infection and fracture union.
Here are three key findings:
1. Results showed infection rate for deep and superficial infection in the control group and intervention group was 19.7 percent and 9.5 percent respectively.
2. The control group had an infection rate of 14.2 percent compared with 6 percent for patients in the intervention group, when only deep infections were compared.
3. Local antibiotics were independent factors of lower infection rates for both deep and superficial infections.