What Are the Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection in HIV-Positive Patients Receiving Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Traumatic Limb Fractures? A Retrospective Cohort Study.

A lack of studies analyze risk factors associated with surgical site infection (SSI) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with trauma undergoing orthopedic surgery. We questioned, (1) "What is the proportion of SSI in HIV-positive patients receiving open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of traumatic limb fractures?" and (2) "What are the independent risk factors for SSI of HIV-positive patients with traumatic limb fractures who received ORIF?" A retrospective study was performed in our institution from May 2011 to December 2019. A total of 246 patients were enrolled. Data of HIV-positive adult patients with traumatic limb fractures treated by ORIF were extracted from the electronic medical records, including the demographic information, characteristics of fractures, treatment-related variables, and indexes of laboratory examination. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of SSI. A total of 26 patients developed SSI in this study, the overall proportion was 10.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.2%-15.3%]. Among them, 18 cases (7.3%) suffered from superficial SSI and 8 cases (3.3%) had the deep SSI. Independent predictors of SSI identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis were CD4+ T-lymphocyte count (adjusted odds ratio per 100/µL increase = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.37-0.81; p = .002) and albumin (adjusted odds ratio per 5 g/liter increase = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.30-0.81; p = .003). We recommend that orthopedic surgeons assess immunosuppression and nutritional status of HIV-positive patients rigorously and optimize the perioperative strategy of supplementary to reduce the risk of SSI.