No abstract

We randomised 120 patients who were undergoing either primary total hip or knee arthroplasty to receive either ferrous sulphate or a placebo for three weeks after surgery. The level of haemoglobin and absolute reticulocyte count were measured at one and five days, and three and six weeks after operation. Ninety-nine patients (ferrous sulphate 50, placebo 49) completed the study. The two groups differed only in the treatment administered. Recovery of level of haemoglobin was similar at five days and three weeks and returned to 85% of the pre-operative level, irrespective of the treatment group. A small, albeit greater recovery in the level of haemoglobin was identified at six weeks in the ferrous sulphate group in both men (ferrous sulphate 5%, placebo 1.5%) and women (ferrous sulphate 6%, placebo 3%). The clinical significance of this is questionable and may be outweighed by the high incidence of reported side effects of oral iron and the cost of the medication. Administration of iron supplements after elective total hip or total knee arthroplasty does not appear to be worthwhile.

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This study aims to determine the contamination rate of cadaveric bone allograft and blood cultures retrieved from 119 donors within Leicester between 1990 and2003. A contamination rate of 27% was present, with 120 of 437 bone allografts culturing positive at the time of retrieval. Similarly, a contamination rate of 37% was present, with 40 of 107 blood samples culturing positive. The time interval between death and procurement did not influence blood contamination. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the commonest organism isolated in both blood and bone cultures. One donor had Clostridium grown in their blood culture. The available evidence confirms similar contamination rates with other studies. The majority of organisms isolated were skin commensals with a low rate of contamination of highly pathogenic organisms such as Clostridium.Résumé Cette étude a pour but de déterminer le taux de contamination des allogreffes osseuses cadavériques et des hémocultures chez 119 donneurs, entre 1990 et 2003, à Leicester. Un taux de contamination de 27% était présent avec 120 des 437 allogreffes avec une culture positive au moment du prélèvement. De la même façon, un taux de contamination de 37% était présent avec 40 des 107 prélèvements de sang avec une culture le positive. L'intervalle de temps entre la mort et l'acquisition du prélèvement n'a pas influencé la contamination du sang. Le staphylocoque coagulase négative était l'organisme plus fréquent isolé dans le sang et dans l'os. Un donneur avait un Clostridium dans l'hémoculture. Les résultats confirment des taux de contamination voisins de ceux des autres études. La majorité des organismes isolés sont des commensaux de la peau avec un bas taux de contamination d'organismes hautement pathogènes tels que Clostridium.