Should intraoperative purulence be considered as a definitive sign of a periprosthetic joint infection (PJI)?

Authors: Javad Mortazavi, Erik Hansen

RECOMMENDATION: Intraoperative purulence should not be considered a definitive sign of a PJI. The definition of purulence is subjective and is neither a sensitive, nor specific, diagnostic marker of a PJI. A validated, objective definition for purulence due to infection is required to set purulence as a diagnostic criterion for PJIs.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Moderate

DELEGATE VOTE: Agree: 75%, Disagree: 22%, Abstain: 3% (Super Majority, Strong Consensus)

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