Pre-operative urine screening is accepted practice during pre-operative assessment in elective orthopaedic practice. There is no evidence surrounding the benefits, effects or clinical outcomes of such a practice. A series of 558 patients undergoing elective admission were recruited during pre-assessment for surgery and were screened for UTIs according to a pre-existing trust protocol. All patients had their urine dipstick tested and positive samples were sent for culture and microscopy. Patients with a positive urine culture were treated prior to surgery and were admitted to the elective centre where strict infection control methods were implemented. The patients were followed up after their surgery and divided into three clinical groups: uneventful surgery; Suspected wound infection; Confirmed wound infectionIntroduction
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