Psychiatric disorder linked to morbidity after fast-track total joints

Editor's Note

In this study, patients with psychiatric disorders (PsDs) requiring psychopharmacological treatments had an increase in postoperative morbidity after fast-track total hip and total knee arthroplasties, regardless of treatment type and preoperative comorbidities.

Among PsD patients:

• Pain, postoperative anemia, and pulmonary complications were the most frequent causes of length of stay more than 4 days.
• Hip displacements and falls were the most frequent causes of readmissions.
• Surgery-related mortality at 90 days was 0.7% vs 0.2% in patients without PsD.

Whether the increased morbidity is related to the psychiatric disease or psychopharmacological side effects is uncertain, the authors say.