Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a severe complication of prosthetic joint implantation, with an estimated incidence of 2.18%. Most frequently used treatment strategy for PJI is a two-stage revision procedure. However there are specific patients with a new or persisting infection after primary or revision surgery where further surgical treatment is not attractive. This may be because of medical or local surgical conditions, or patient's refusal to undergo (further) surgical therapy. For these patients suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) may be an alternative treatment.

The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and radiological outcome of patients with a PJI of a hip arthroplasty, treated with SAT.

Twenty-four patients with a hip arthroplasty treated with suppressive antibiotic therapy for PJI between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2013 were included. All patients had a proven prosthetic joint infection, either by ≥2 intraoperative cultures or joint aspiration. SAT was defined as treatment with antibiotic therapy for more than three months. Most used antibiotics were doxycycline in 15 patients and cotrimoxazole in six patients.

Patients were supposed to have a successful outcome when their prosthesis remained in situ and they had no relapse or new infection.

Suppressive antibiotic therapy was considered successful in 15 (62.5%) patients with a mean follow-up of 20.6 months. Two patients (8.3%) had to stop the antibiotic therapy due to adverse effects.

The mean duration of the SAT was 20.4 months (range 0.92–92.65 months).

Mean modified Oxford hip score of the successfully treated patients at the latest follow up was 35 (range 16–49) and mean Harris hip score 71 (range 40–93). The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) was 16 (range 0–70) in rest, 32 (range 0–85) during exercise and 65 (range 10–100) for satisfaction.

Of the 9 patients with an unsuccessful outcome, there was a radiological loosening of the cup in 4 patients. In the group of 15 patients that were considered successful, 2 patients had a radiological loosening of the cup and one patient loosening of the stem.

Suppressive antibiotic therapy can be an attractive alternative treatment in selected patients with a prosthetic joint infection of a hip arthroplasty who cannot or will not undergo (further) surgical therapy.

Further research with a larger number of patients is required. Also the optimal dosage and duration of suppressive antibiotic therapy and possible resistance to the antibiotic therapy is unknown.