Background Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) represent one of the most serious complications associated with joint replacement surgeries, a complication also of modern orthopedic surgery despite the efforts that occurred in this field. Frequently PJIs lead to prolonged morbidity, increased costs and mortality. Methods We are conducting a single-center observational cohort ongoing study in the Academic Emergency Hospital Sibiu, Romania, study in which sonication of the retrieved and as a rapid method of bacteria detection, molecular identification of bacteria by 16S rRNA beacon-based fluorescent in situ hybridization (bbFISH) are used. Results A total of 61 patients were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis of aseptic loosening was established in 30 cases (49.1%) and the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection was established at 31 patients (50.8%). The mean follow-up period in the subgroup of patients diagnosed with periprosthetic joint infections was 36.06 ± 12.59 months (range: 1–54). The 25-months Kaplan-Meier survival rate as the end point, as a consequence of the period of enrollment and a different follow-up period for each type of surgical procedure, was 75% after debridement and implant retention, 91.7% after one-stage exchange, 92.3% after two-stage exchange, and 100% after three-stage exchange. There were no significant differences in survival percentage. Conclusions Our study has good results similar to previously published data. We cannot recommend one strategy of managing prosthetic joint infections over the other. Definitely, there is a need for prospective randomized controlled trials.

Infections associated with the medical and the surgical acts are an important public health problem and quality of medical services, with certain economic implications. Losses from the health state budget are explained by prolonging hospitalization, staff costs, costs of antibiotics, medical tests, and investigations. The present study aims to highlight the importance of avoidable medical costs by reviewing comparative financial data from the national and international literature. The article presents the cost of surgical wound infections comparatively with specific financial data for states such as USA, Germany, UK, Austria, France, Australia and India. In Romania there is an incidence of hospital acquired infections between 1% -3% of cases solved. In the European Union, under the influence of legal provisions, the incidence of these infections is between 5% and 15%. Romania, as a Member State of the European Union, will have to comply with reporting requirements for this type of infection (according to the Decision 2119 /98/ EC) and will have to make legislative proposals for economic analyses on medical services and their quality. The case study represents an economic approach of a case of surgical wound infection in a public hospital in Sibiu County (Romania). In Romania there are no financial data available in this field, aspect which will give originality of this paper.