Knowledge and attitudes of orthopedic surgeons regarding prosthesis joint infection

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a critical complication after joint arthroplasty and is accompanied by increasing rates of morbidity and mortality. Several studies have aimed at preventing PJI. AIM: To research the knowledge level and attitudes of orthopedic surgeons, who play a key role in both preventing and managing PJI. METHODS: We conducted a web-based survey to evaluate orthopedic surgeons' knowledge level and attitudes regarding PJI. The Likert scale survey utilized consisted of 30 questions which were prepared based on the "Proceedings of the International Consensus on Periprosthetic Joint Infection". RESULTS: A total of 264 surgeons participated in the survey. Their average age was 44.8, and 173 participants (65.5%) had more than 10 years of experience. No statistically significant relationship was found between the PJI knowledge of the surgeons and their years of experience. However, participants who worked in training and research hospitals demonstrated higher levels of knowledge than the ones in the state hospitals. It was also noticed that surgeons' knowledge concerning the duration of antibiotic therapy and urinary infections was not consistent with their attitudes. CONCLUSION: Even though orthopedic surgeons have adequate knowledge about preventing and managing PJI, their attitudes might contradict their knowledge. Future studies are required to examine the causes and solutions of the contradictions between orthopedic surgeons' knowledge and attitudes.