Debridement Alone Often No Match for Gram-Negative Prosthetic Joint Infection

Description: Prosthetic joint infection resulting from Gram-negative organisms accounts for a "substantial proportion" of all episodes of prosthetic joint infection, researchers from Taiwan report in the October 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Debridement alone often fails to clear these infections "and should not be attempted when the duration of symptoms is long," advise Dr. Pang-Hsin Hsieh and colleagues from Chang Gung University in Taoyuan. Resection of the prosthetic joint, with or without subsequent reimplantation, often yields a favorable outcome, they've found.