AI Article Synopsis
- The study focused on understanding the characteristics and outcomes of patients with group B streptococcal (GBS) infections in prosthetic joints, involving 30 patients over a period from 1994 to 2006.
- Most patients had underlying health issues, and infections were generally contracted through the bloodstream, with various identified entry points.
- Treatment involved surgery and long-term antibiotics, but while many patients were cured, there were complications, including relapses and 2 deaths associated with infections or treatments.
Article Abstract
Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients with group B streptococcal (GBS) prosthetic joint infections, their diagnoses, treatment, and long-term outcomes.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including all patients hospitalized from January 1994 through May 2006 for a GBS prosthetic joint infection.
Results: The study included 30 patients, aged 35-87 (median 74) years with prosthetic hip (24) or knee (6) infections, 20 with at least one underlying disease. The route of infection was presumed to be hematogenous in 27 patients, and a portal of entry was identified in 9 (genitourinary tract 4, skin 2, gastrointestinal tract 2, oropharynx 1). All patients underwent surgery (6 debridement-synovectomy, 9 1-stage exchange arthroplasty, 8 2-stage exchange arthroplasty, 6 hip resection arthroplasty, and 1 knee arthrodesis) and received prolonged intravenous antibiotics. Four patients relapsed. One patient developed 2 other infections on her knee prosthesis. Two deaths were infection-related, and one was treatment-related. Nineteen patients followed for >/=2 years were cured. One patient was lost to follow-up and 3 died of causes unrelated to infection or treatment within 2 years.
Conclusion: GBS prosthetic joint infections are mostly acute hematogenous infections that require prompt management for satisfactory outcome. Despite high antibiotic susceptibility, treatment failure is frequent because of the severity of the infection and patients' advanced age, underlying diseases, and relapses.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lpm.2009.02.026 | DOI Listing |
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