The economic impact of infected total joint arthroplasty.

Infection in total joint replacement is a devastating and life-threatening complication for the patient. It can also be an economic disaster for hospitals that treat large numbers of these patients. The most important factor in both the clinical and economic area is to prevent the infection from occurring at all. However, once deep infection is established, rapid, aggressive, and definitive treatment must be rendered to the patient. A method of case-sharing must be established by medical centers that are best equipped to care for these patients. Reimbursement to hospitals and physicians must more realistically reflect the magnitude of resources consumed by these patients and the time-consuming and intensive care provided by a team of physicians.