Medical comorbidities and perioperative allogeneic red blood cell transfusion are risk factors for surgical site infection after shoulder arthroplasty

Gender, rheumatoid arthritis, and long-term (>1 year) corticosteroid use affect SSI risk after shoulder arthroplasty. Revision surgery, particularly in the setting of prior infection, increased risk of future infection. Finally, allogeneic red blood cell transfusion increases SSI risk after shoulder arthroplasty in a dose-dependent manner.