The application of topical antibiotics for the prevention of infections in primary joint arthroplasty. An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

This umbrella review aim to explore the effect of topical antibiotics in infection prevention after primary joint arthroplasty, and provide a specific theoretical basis for clinical treatment. The review process was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and the Cochrane Library on infection prevention by topical antibiotics from inception to 10 April 2023. The two researchers individually and strictly screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, performed the literature quality evaluation and data extraction, and used Stata 17 for data analysis. This study included six studies with one systematic review and five meta-analyses. The pooled analysis showed that topical antibiotic administration effectively reduced the incidence of overall infection and periprosthetic joint infection. However, it does not reduce the risk of superficial infection. Besides, the topic of antibiotics significantly increases the incidence of other sterile complications of the incision. According to the current evidence, topical application of antibiotics can reduce the incidence of overall infection and periprosthetic joint infection after primary joint arthroplasty. Although it increases the incidence of complications such as delayed healing of incisions, the pros and cons should be weighed in clinical decision making. However, they should not be discarded due to side effects.