Chronic prosthetic joint infections with a draining sinus. Who should receive suppressive antibiotic treatment?

Karel-Jan Lensen; Rosa Escudero-Sanchez; Javier Cobo; Alex Soriano; Marjan Wouthuyzen-Bakker

doi:10.5194/jbji-6-43-2020

Chronic prosthetic joint infections with a draining sinus. Who should receive suppressive antibiotic treatment?

J Bone Jt Infect. 2020 Oct 30;6(2):43-45. doi: 10.5194/jbji-6-43-2020. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Karel-Jan Lensen¹, Rosa Escudero-Sanchez², Javier Cobo², Alex Soriano³, Marjan Wouthuyzen-Bakker⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
² Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain.
³ Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
⁴ Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Abstract

The benefit of suppressive antibiotic treatment in inoperable patients with a chronic periprosthetic joint infection and a sinus tract is unknown. Some physicians prefer to just let the sinus drain, while others prefer antibiotic treatment. In this viewpoint article we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of suppressive antibiotic treatment in this particular patient group.