EVALUACIÓN DEL PROTOCOLO FAST-TRACK PARA ARTROPLASTIA TOTAL DE RODILLA: IMPACTO SOBRE ESTANCIA HOSPITALARIA, VISITAS AL SERVICIO DE URGENCIAS E INFECCIÓN

Objectives: To analyze the differences in length of stay, readmission and infection in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty before and after the implementation of a fast-track protocol. Material and methods. Retrospective observational follow-up study in 777 patients. The variables under study were: length of stay, readmission and total number of Emergency Department (ED) visits and rate of infection. Results. A homogeneous sample of 777 patients was obtained with women predominance and mean age of 70 years. The values before and after fast-track implantation were: length of stay 5,1 vs 3,2 days (p<0,001), patients underwent readmission 12,2% vs 21,9% (p<0,001), ED visits 74 vs 118 (p<0,001). Rate of infection was similar in both groups for all levels. Conclusions. Fast-track protocols improve length of stay without affecting the rate of infection. Special care should be given to the increased readmission.