To assess the spread of foot infection and its impact on the outcomes of major amputations of lower extremities in diabetic patients. In a multicentre retrospective and prospective cohort study, we included adult diabetic patients (≥ 18 years) who underwent a major amputation of a lower limb in 5 hospitals between 2000 and 2009, 2012 and 2014. A total of 51 patients were included (of which 27 (52.94%) were men and 24 (47.06%) were women) with the mean age of 65.51 years (SD=16.99). Concomitant section's osseous slice biopsy (BA) and percutaneous bone biopsy of the distal site (BD) were performed during limb amputation. A new surgical set-up and new instruments were used to try and reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination during surgery. A positive culture was defined as the identification of at least 1 species of bacteria not belonging to the skin flora or at least 2 bacteria belonging to the skin flora (CoNS (coagulase negative staphylococci), Aim
Method
The treatment of a chronic prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a combination of the bacteria's identification, a «carcinological» surgery and an appropriate antibiotherapy. In case of gram positive cocci infection, rifampicin is often used. The aim of this study is to determine which factors are responsible for the development of resistance to rifampicine. All patients had a total hip (THA) or knee (TKA) arthroplasty with a chronic infection. They were treated with a two-time surgery. All of them received a bi-antibiotic treatment. In case of gram positive cocci infection, and according to the susceptibility test, they received rifampicin. The 221 patients were operated from July 1997 to November 2013 in 3 university centers (one Belgian and two French) and were retrospectively analysed. The demographical, clinical and bacterial data as well as the antibiotic treatment were collected. The healing was defined as the absence of recurrence during the 2 years following surgery.Aim
Method
There is currently no consensus on the use of suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) in prosthetic joint infections (PJI) (1). We describe herein the experience of a French Reference Centre for Complex Osteo-Articular Infections on use of oral cyclines (doxycline and minocycline) for SAT. A retrospective analysis was performed on consecutive patients with PJI who received oral cyclines (doxycycline or minocycline) for SAT between January 2006 and June 2014. All patients had surgical management, followed by systemic antibiotic treatment and SAT instauration thereafter. Remission was defined as an asymptomatic patient with a functioning prosthesis. Seventy-nine patients with a mean age of 63.8 ± 16.8 years were included. Sixteen patients (20%) had neoplasia, 9 (11%) diabetes mellitus, 10 (13%) rheumatoid arthritis, and 6 patients (8%) were receiving corticosteroids or chemotherapy. There were 37 knee (47%), 36 hip (46%), 4 elbow (5%), and 2 shoulder (3%) infections, with a mean delay from implantation of 7.37 ± 6.94 months (range 1–27). Surgical management consisted in debridement and implant retention for 60 patients (76%), or in implant exchange for 19 patients (24%). Main pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (37%) and Staphylococcus aureus (41%); 23 patients had polymicrobial infection (29%). The most frequent initial antibiotic regimens debuted before SAT were rifampicin combinations (70%). Mean duration of curative antibiotic therapy was 103 ± 75 days. Indications of SAT were (i) patients unsuitable for or refusing further surgery (n=23), suboptimal (ii) surgery (n=26) or (iii) curative antibiotic therapy (n=11), (iv) complex orthopaedic surgery (n=11), and (v) immunosuppressive status (n=8). Seventy-three patients received doxycycline and 6 patients received minocycline as SAT (n=48). Mean SAT duration was 625± 536 days (range 30–2900), with a mean follow-up of 765 ± 572 days. Adverse events were reported in 13 patients (16%), leading to SAT discontinuation in 5 (6%). During follow-up, 59 patients were considered in remission (75%), and 20 failed including 13 relapses (16%) and 7 reinfections (9%). Among failure patients, 10 pathogens resistant to doxy/minocycline were identified, including 5 with acquisition of cycline resistance. In our study, SAT with cyclines is associated to a 75% remission rate, with an acceptable tolerability. Further studies are warranted to determine ideal regimens and optimal duration of SAT. We would like to thank Dron Hospital and Lille University Hospital medical teams. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
