Infection Most studies report an infection rate of 1% or less in primary total hip arthroplasty. Infections diagNosed within the first few weeks after the procedure or as long as a year later are most likely due to periopera tive contamination. This relatively low infection rate is due in part to the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics in the perioperative period. Antistaphylococcal drugs such as vancomycin or one of the cephalosporins are used most frequently for this purpose.