Early surgical site infection after geriatric trauma surgery: mortality, complications, and factors…

ObservationalEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie· Jul 2026

Early surgical site infection after geriatric trauma surgery: mortality, complications, and factors associated with mortality and infection persistence in patients older than 75 years.

Francois-Xavier Faure, Pascal Maman, Richard Volpi … Marie Le Baron

OrthopedicsObservationalPrognosisQ2IF 2.0

One in four patients over 75 died after early surgical site infection

Early surgical site infection after geriatric trauma surgery: mortality, complications, and factors associated with mortality and infection persistence in patients older than 75 years.

Francois-Xavier Faure … Marie Le Baron

European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology · Jul 2026 · Q2 in Orthopedics

Background

Early surgical site infection (surgical site infection) after orthopedic trauma surgery remains a severe postoperative complication associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate mortality, infection control, and postoperative complications associated with early surgical site infection in patients older than 75 years, and to identify factors associated with mortality and infection persistence.

Methods

A retrospective monocentric observational cohort study was conducted in an academic orthopedic trauma center.

n = 26 patients

Results

older patients died during follow-up after an early wound infection at the surgery site

RR 4 (95% CI 1.81 to 8.85)

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

Twenty-three patients (57.5%) had an ASA score ≥ 3.

Staphylococcal species were identified in 65% of infections, while 45% were polymicrobial.

More results

ASA score ≥ 4 (RR = 3.6; 95% CI [1.4-9.28]), severe renal insufficiency (RR = 4; 95% CI [1.81-8.85]), and polymicrobial infection (RR = 3.61; 95% CI [1.12-11.62]) were significantly associated with mortality.

Median Parker Mobility Score significantly decreased from 6.0 preoperatively to 4.0 at final follow-up (p < 0.001).

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Early surgical site infection after trauma surgery in patients older than 75 years is associated with substantial mortality, high complication rates, and significant functional deterioration.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Severe comorbidities, renal insufficiency, and polymicrobial infection were associated with mortality, while delayed surgical management was associated with infection persistence, while delayed surgical management is associated with persistent infection.

Early surgical site infection after geriatric trauma surgery: mortality, complications, and factors associated with mortality and infection persistence in patients older than 75 years.

Early surgical site infection after geriatric trauma surgery: mortality, complications, and factors associated with mortality and infection persistence in patients older than 75 years.

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