Background: There are currently no treatment algorithms specifically for early peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) after hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture. Commonly, debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) is attempted as first-line management, despite lack of evidence supporting this strategy in this patient group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes of DAIR for early PJI after hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture in our unit. Methods: The departmental database from December 2008 to January 2019 was searched to identify all patients in our unit who were treated for early PJI after hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture. Data for included patients were collected from electronic healthcare records and analyzed. Primary outcome measure was treatment success, defined as patient survival to discharge, with eradication of infection and implant retention. Results: Twenty-six patients were identified and included in the study. Mean age was 84.7 years. All except one patient were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 3 or 4. All patients were McPherson host grade B or C. Twenty-three of 26 patients underwent DAIR and three of 26 proceeded directly to excision arthroplasty. Debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention was successful in three of 23 patients (13%) after a single procedure, with success in two additional patients after a second procedure, giving overall success rate of five of 23 patients (22%). Conclusions: Debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention has a high failure rate in treating early PJI after hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture. These patients are generally elderly and frail with multiple host and wound compromising factors. Debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention should not be recommended as first-line management for the majority of these patients, for whom getting it right the first time is of vital importance to avoid consequences associated with failed surgical procedures. Further multicenter studies that also explore alternate treatment strategies are required to devise an algorithm specifically for hip fracture patients, to aid decisions on treatment and improve outcomes.
Keywords: debridement; hemiarthroplasty; hip; infection; joint; prosthesis.