Analysis of the surgical treatment of fracture in HIV positive patients: A clinical study

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of postoperative infection and fracture nonunion as well as the risk factors for postoperative infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients.

Methods: From May 2013 to March 2016, the HIV positive fracture patients treated surgically in orthopaedics department of our hospital were analyzed retrospectively, and fifty HIV negative fracture patients during the same period were selected as control. The clinical data of included patients were reviewed. The incidence of postoperative infection and fracture nonunion were compared between the two groups, and the risk factors for postoperative infection in HIV positive patients were evaluated.

Results: The incidence of poor wound healing and incision infection in HIV positive group was higher than that in HIV negative group, but there were no significant differences between the two groups (p>0.05). Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that HIV clinical category (p<0.05), CD4+T-lymphocyte category (p<0.01) and open fracture (p<0.05) were independent risk factors for postoperative wound infections, but age, gender, operation time, incision type, emergency operation, albumin and lymphocyte count were not (p>0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of nonunion between the two groups (p>0.05).

Conclusion: The incision can be healed, and fracture can be united normally in most of HIV positive patients with fracture, and postoperative wound infections were significantly associated with HIV clinical category, CD4+T-lymphocyte category and open fracture.