Is Drain Tip Culture Prognostic of Surgical Site Infection? Results of 1380 Drain Tip Cultures in Total Hip Arthroplasty

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a prognostic value of drain tip culture for surgical site infection (SSI) after total hip arthroplasty. A total of 1380 closed suction drain tips cultured after removal in primary total hip arthroplasty were included in this study. Drains were removed in 12–72 hours after surgery. Drain tip cultures were positive in 11 cases (0.8%). SSI was found in 4 cases (0.3%), where the drain tip cultures were all negative. The sensitivity of drain tip culture for infection after surgery was 0%, and the specificity was 99.7%. We concluded that, drain tip culture cannot be prognostic for SSI after total hip arthroplasty. Routine use of drain tip culture is not supported.