The significance of asymptomatic bacteriuria in patients undergoing hip/knee arthroplasty.

The urinary tract has received a great deal of attention as a possible source of infection following arthroplasty. The incidence and significance of asymptomatic bacteriuria in patients admitted for arthroplasty is obscure. The occurrence of bacteriuria was therefore analyzed retrospectively in 299 patients admitted for hip/knee arthroplasty to determine its incidence and relation to the age of the patient and the result of the operation. There was a high incidence of bacteriuria in patients 65 years of age or older and an abnormally high incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in younger patients of both sexes who were to undergo hip/knee arthroplasty. However, there was no correlation between bacteriuria and surgical infection in these patients. Bacteriuria is common in patients admitted to the hospital for arthroplasty and should not be considered a cause for postponement of surgical treatment in the absence of other signs of cystitis or pyelonephritis.