Causative organisms in revision total hip & knee arthroplasty for infection: Increasing multi-antibiotic resistance in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and the implications for antibiotic prophylaxis

Surgeon. 2015 Oct;13(5):250-5. doi: 10.1016/j.surge.2014.04.002. Epub 2014 May 10.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Increasing resistance among post-operative Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) infections have been reported. We present our experience changing resistance patterns.

Methods: We examined microbiological results from hip and knee revisions from 2001 to 2010 and compared resistance to all Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and CNS cultured from regional pan-speciality sources, in order to examine the patterns of antibiotic resistance.

Main findings: 72 revisions in 67 patients were included. The most common organisms were SA (36%) and CNS (35%). Resistance to methicillin was 72% for CNS versus 20% for SA and resistance to gentamicin was 40% for CNS versus 4% for SA. Among all regional (background pan-speciality) cultures SA resistance to methicillin fell from 32% to 16% from 2006 to 10 with no change in gentamicin resistance at 3%. During the same period resistance of CNS to methicillin and gentamicin increased from 63% to 70% and 32%-47% respectively.

Conclusions: Resistance of CNS to both methicillin and gentamicin is higher than with SA and appears to be increasing. At least 32% of CNS and 4% of SA from infected TKRs/THRs were resistant to our current prophylaxis regime. These changing patterns of resistance may have implications for future antibiotic prophylaxis regimes.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Arthroplasty; Infection; Revision surgery; Total hip replacement; Total knee replacement.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antibiotic Prophylaxis / methods*
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / adverse effects*
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / adverse effects*
  • Coagulase / metabolism*
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / microbiology
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / prevention & control*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Staphylococcus aureus / enzymology
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Coagulase