Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-13-2025
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In recent years, many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of an early switch to oral antibiotics after surgical treatment in orthopedic-related infections. However, large analyses on periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are lacking.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational multicenter study in patients diagnosed with an early post-operative PJI, defined as one occurringdebridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR). Patients from Europe and the USA were included. We took advantage of the fact that an early oral antibiotic switch is routine practice in Europe as opposed to a long duration of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment in the USA. Failure was defined as the clinical need for (i) a second unintended DAIR procedure, (ii) implant removal, (iii) suppressive antibiotic treatment, or (iii) PJI-related death, all within one year after DAIR.
RESULTS: A total of 668 patients were included. A total of 277 received IV antibiotics for <14 days, 232 between 14 and 27 days, and 159 for >27 days. The overall 1-year failure rate within the 3 groups was 41.5%, 44.4%, and 42.1%, respectively (p = 0.80). This observation remained when excluding patients who failed during IV therapy. A longer duration of IV therapy seemed beneficial for those patients with a high pre-operative C-reactive protein level and lack of modular component exchange.
CONCLUSIONS: In early post-operative PJIs, a longer duration of IV therapy is not associated with a lower failure rate but may be continued until a sufficient bacterial load reduction has been achieved.
Recommended Citation
Meijer, Janneke; Soriano, Alex; Zijlstra, Wierd; Ten Have, Bas; Tarabichi, Saad; Jutte, Paul; Parvizi, Javad; and Wouthuyzen-Bakker, Marjan, "A Longer Duration of Intravenous Antibiotic Treatment for Patients with Early Periprosthetic Joint Infections Is Not Associated with a Lower Failure Rate" (2025). Rothman Institute Faculty Papers. Paper 276.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/rothman_institute/276
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Language
English
Included in
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons, Orthopedics Commons, Surgical Procedures, Operative Commons, Therapeutics Commons
Comments
This article is the author's final published version in Antibiotics, Volume 14, Issue 1, January 2025, Article number 79.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14010079.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors