A one-hospital study to determine the reaction prevalence and infection risk indicators for skeletal pin sites

A retrospective study was conducted which sought to identify possible risk factors in the care of skeletal pin sites in order to produce guidelines for cost effective care. Data was collected relative to fracture injury characteristics, pin site appearance, reaction incidence, pin site care and physiological status. Subjects were drawn from the orthopaedic and paediatric units of one hopsital. Patients with negative cultures were matched to patients with a positive culture in a form of study known as case control. Information was summarised and analysed to show infection incidence and highlight risk factors. The study suggests that there is a correlation between infection and age, time of operation, patients who smoke and nutritional status. The highest correlation of infection risk with infected pin sites was low serum albumin, an indicator of poor nutritional status. The infection incidence was 10.2% in patients with closed fractures and 10.7% in open or non union fractures.