Introduction: Surgical site infections remain one of the most common complications associated with surgery in Australia and the world. Many factors contribute to infection risk, however, immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs such as DMARDs, biological DMARDs and glucocorticoids pose a unique risk.
Case Overview: A 70-year-old female developed a surgical site infection post-repair of a ruptured achilles tendon. She had a background of psoriatic arthritis treated with immunosuppressive agents which were not ceased prior to the surgical treatment.
Discussion Overview: The current literature suggests that biologic DMARDs and glucocorticoids increase the risk of surgical site infections in patients undergoing a procedure. It is therefore imperative to emphasize the importance of careful medication histories and recognition of medication side effects with a risk versus benefit balance.
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Post-Operative Wound Infection in the Context of Immunosuppression.
