Abstract
The aim of our study was to compare the cost of preoperative empiric mupirocin treatment of all total joint arthroplasty patients with a standard Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization protocol. The cost of empiric mupirocin treatment is $24.65 per patient, whereas the cost of a standard S. aureus screening and decolonization protocol is $60.32 per patient. Given that more than 1,051,000 total joint arthroplasties are performed annually, the cost savings with empiric treatment is nearly $40 million per year. Empiric treatment allows for more efficient workflow, minimizes potential for clerical error, eliminates risk of undertreatment, and has not been shown to increase antibiotic resistance.