Abstract: Introduction: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a very serious complication that can occur after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). Timely and accurate diagnosis of PJI is crucial for preserving the implanted prosthesis, restoring joint function, and reducing morbidity rates. However, diagnosing PJI remains challenging due to the absence of a definitive “gold standard “test with absolute accuracy. To assess the effectiveness of various clinical indicators in diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), we will evaluate the comparative performance of serum C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, albumin to globulin ratio (A/G).
Methods: This is a retrospective study, we collected clinical data of 30 patients diagnosed in our department between January 2021 to July 2023 with periprosthetic joint infection following total knee arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty (less than 90 days considered acute or more than 90 days considered chronic). Patient demographic data were compared and we evaluated the relative sensitivity and specificity of pre-operative ESR and CRP/AGR values as predictors for diagnosing Periprosthetic joint infection.
Results: Among 30 patients 21 had positive culture results, 9 patients had negative culture results. Based on the culture reports the most common organism involved is Staphylococcus aureus 85.71% followed by Staph. epidermidis 14.28%. For culture sensitive patients the diagnosing accuracy for in culture patients CRP is 91.75%, ESR is 69.46%, CRP/AGR 93.75%, whereas in culture negative the threshold for diagnosing accuracy for CRP is 60%, CRP/AGR is 61%, ESR is 51%.
