An investigation on the role of the LONG-term electronic communication follow-up in determining implanted bone/joint infections

INTRODUCTION AND AİM: The study was carried out to determine the efficacy of communication over telephone in determining surgical site infections by communicating with patients with bone/joint implants for 90 days following their discharge. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study was planned to be a prospective, randomized controlled and descriptive research, and the sample of the study consisted of 380 patients who were implanted in neurosurgery and orthopedics clinics in a university hospital between February 2014 and October 2014. The study was divided into two randomized groups as follow-up with telephone group and standard follow-up group. The telephone follow-up group was called by telephone on 30, 60 and 90 days after the patients' discharge and the symptoms of surgical site infection (SSI) were questioned according to the CDC criteria. Patients in the standard follow-up group were monitored from the hospital automation system and their admittance to hospital within 90 days following their discharge was examined. SSI symptoms were compared between both groups and the infection rates were determined. The data were analyzed using computer software by percentage, mean, independent t test and chi square tests. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 57.30 ± 14.287 and the mean hospitalization duration was 4.51 ± 022. According to the ASA classification, 29.5% of the patients scored 1 point while 40.8% scored 2 points and 29.7% scored 3 points. Surgical site infection rate was 5.2% in the follow-up with telephone group while it was 4.3% in the standard follow-up group. There was no significant difference in infection rates between the follow-up with telephone group and standard follow-up group (p> 0.05). The history of joint replacement with and without infection was defined as the risk factor. SSI detected in 18 of the 380 patients (4.73%) in the study. CONCLUSION: It was found that follow-up with telephone was not effective in early determination of surgical site infections in patients with bone/joint implants. Keywords: Surgical site infection, Hospital infection, Implant, Prosthetic joint infection, Follow-up with telephone.