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Orthopaedic Surgeons

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Orthopaedic surgeons rely on total joint replacements to repair damaged knees and hips. Doctors, nurses, and patients view the procedures as common and effective, and know that successful surgeries have great benefits. Successful operations relieve patients’ pain and to improve the quality of life for patients and families. Should one of the surgeries result in infection, however, the consequences can be harsh, including serious illness, additional surgeries, or even deadly complications.
Bones generally resist disease. Therefore, osteomyelitis, the medical term for bone infection, usually occurs when a source outside of the body’s bone structure introduces bacteria. Surgery commonly is a source because invasive procedures create pathways that …show more content…

Though rare, infections in joints after surgery are potentially devastating. Healthcare providers must be especially vigilant to combat infection for the special reason that serious postoperative complications constitute a considerable emotional and financial burden for patients, surgeons, and healthcare systems (Bosco, Bookman, Slover, Edusei, and Levine, 2015).
For those reasons, Bosco et al. (2015) argue that it is crucial to prevent SSIs in general and joint infections in particular. The study, while calling for preoperative screening and cleaning to eliminate S. aureus threats, recommended that medical teams work vigorously to learn about infection-causing microorganisms like MRSA (Bosco et al., 2015).
Pushing health practitioners to acquire the most up-to-date knowledge about the best and most appropriate antibiotic regimens, Bosco et al. (2015) also found hope in the use of antibiotic-loaded cement during joint surgeries and the use of antibiotic powder in wound …show more content…

Infections declined 22 percent for hip replacements.
4. SSIs dropped 41 percent for knee replacements.
A priority for nurses is to reduce bone infections as well as overall HAIs. Studies show that a preoperative assessment could identify risk factors, including among others obesity, poor nutrition, and smoking. Nurses can take the lead in evaluating the warning signs and serving in essence as an early-warning system when it comes to high-risk patients. In that way, nurses would elevate the level of care and crisis response to match the heightened risks.
Bone infections after hip and knee replacements are trending downward. Nurses can find both guidance and a partial explanation in the recent antibiotic research. The use of antibiotic powder supports wound healing, the research shows. Healthcare providers, including nurses, need to know that and act on that if they are to be effective patient advocates. They also must monitor the growing body of evidence on antibiotic bone cement. The studies are inconclusive but promising, and clarity will come as expanded clinical trials go

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