Complications of primary total hip arthroplasty in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients with femoral head osteonecrosis.

BACKGROUND: Femoral head osteonecrosis (FHON) is a well-recognised complication in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a reliable solution to FHON and has provided functional improvement and pain relief in these patients. Higher complication rates, in particular infections, have been reported in the series of THAs done in the HIV-positive patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complication rate of THA for FHON in HIV-positive patients managed with the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) protocols. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of HIV-positive patients with FHON who underwent THAs over a 10-year period at a single institution. RESULTS: A total of 56 THAs (44 patients) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at the time of THAs was 47 (range 34-60) years. Of the 44 patients, 39 (88.6%) were males. The mean follow-up was 6.6 (range 2.0-11.3) years. The overall complication rate was 12.5%, with 2 (3.6%) cases of deep periprosthetic infections. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-positive patients with FHON undergoing THAs do have a considerable complication rate (12.5%). The deep periprosthetic infection rate (3.6%) in these patients, however, has decreased with contemporary disease modification protocols.

Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis During Convalescence From Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Invasive cryptococcal infection in a previously immunocompetent patient complicating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia has not been described before. In this report, a 76-year-old woman survived a bout of respiratory failure from severe COVID-19 pneumonia, during which she received remdesivir, convalescent plasma, corticosteroids, and tocilizumab. Soon after discharge, she developed acute encephalopathy and multifocal ischemic strokes. CSF and blood cultures were positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of encephalopathy in a patient with COVID-19. Treatment with high-dose steroids and tocilizumab may be predisposing factors.

Anticoagulation in Elective Spine Cases: Rates of Hematomas Versus Thromboembolic Disease.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with propensity matched cohorts. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of anticoagulation with VTE and hematoma complications after spine surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: One of the major complications of surgery is VTE which can range in presentation. Spine surgery is an especially complex balance between minimizing the risk of a VTE event and also the increased risk of a hematoma which can lead to devastating neurological outcomes. METHODS: The elective spine surgery cases at a single academic center between 2015 and 2017 were identified. A total of 3790 patients were initially identified. Two hundred sixty patients were excluded. The cohort was then matched using a propensity score. This matched a single patient who did not receive anticoagulation to a single patient who did within the institution. This left a total of 1776 patients with 888 patients in each arm. RESULTS: The incidence of VTE, PE, and unplanned reoperation for hematoma in this cohort was 0.96%, 0.34%, and 1.13%, respectively. Predicted odds of VTE and PE were not significantly different; however, the odds of an unplanned reoperation for hematoma (odds ratio [OR] = 7.535, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.004-28.340, P = 0.002) were greater for those who received pharmacological anticoagulation in our institutional cohort. CONCLUSION: In this study, anticoagulation does not lead to lower rates of VTE events, but it increases the risk of symptomatic hematomas which require a return trip to the OR. While this was not a randomized controlled trial, we attempted to correct for this with propensity matching. Future randomized control trials would be needed.Level of Evidence: 3.