Nosocomial deep wound infections are serious complications after hip joint surgery. Our aim was to determine whether there is a difference in rates of nosocomial infections between group of patients after elective surgery of hip replacement and group of patients with hip replacement after trauma. Both groups of patients had perioperative prophylaxis with amoxycillin. We found that the overall trauma patients infection rate was 0.9 per cent compared with 1.5 per cent for elective surgery infections. In both groups of patients a postsurgery stress was documented according to increase of acute phase proteins (C-reactive protein, orosomucoid and fibrinogen) in plasma for a minimum 10 days after surgery. We conclude, that both groups of patients had benefit from amoxycillin prophylaxis therapy.