Diagnosing Fracture-Related Infections: Where Are We Now?

Accurate diagnosis of fracture-related infection (FRI) is critical for preventing poor outcomes such as loss of function or amputation. Due to the multiple variables associated with FRI, however, accurate diagnosis is challenging and complicated by a lack of standardized diagnostic criteria. Limitations with the current gold standard for diagnosis, which is routine microbiology culture, further complicate the diagnostic and management process. Efforts to optimize the process rely on a foundation of data derived from prosthetic joint infections (PJI), but differences in PJI and FRI make it clear that unique approaches for these distinct infections are required. A more concerted effort focusing on FRI has dominated more recent investigations and publications leading to a consensus definition by the American Orthopedics (AO) Foundation and the European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS). This has the potential to better standardize the diagnostic process, which will not only improve patient care but also facilitate more robust and reproducible research related to the diagnosis and management of FRI. The purpose of this minireview is to explore the consensus definition, describe the foundation of data supporting current FRI diagnostic techniques, and identify pathways for optimization of clinical microbiology-based strategies and data.

A Retrospective Chart Review on the Role of Suppressive Therapy in the Management of Spinal Infections Involving Hardware.

BACKGROUND: One percent to 8% of patients undergoing spinal instrumentation surgeries develop infections. There is no consensus on the medical and surgical management of these infections. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and Common Procedural Terminology codes relevant to spinal infections with hardware within Emory Healthcare over a 10-year period. Extracted data included patient demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory and microbiologic results, and surgical and medical management including choice and duration of suppressive therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of length of use of suppressive antibiotics with treatment success and to identify predictors of use of suppressive antibiotics. RESULTS: Of 869 records, 124 met inclusion criteria. Fifty patients (40.3%) had an infection that occurred after hardware placement, mostly within 3 months postsurgery, while the remainder had vertebral osteomyelitis that required hardware placement. After initial intravenous antibiotic treatment for ≥4 weeks, 72 patients (64.5%) were given suppressive antibiotics. The overall treatment success rate was 78.2%. In spinal infections involving hardware with gram-negative rods, patients were less likely to receive suppressive antibiotics, less likely to have hardware removed, and less likely to have treatment success compared with patients with infections with Staphylococcus species. CONCLUSIONS: Management of spinal infections involving hardware should be tailored to the timing of onset of infection and causative organism. Further studies are needed to determine best management practices, particularly for gram-negative rod infections where the role of further suppressive antibiotics and hardware removal may be warranted.

A noninvasive renal fungus ball caused by Rhizopus--a previously unreported manifestation of zygomycosis.

We describe the first reported case of renal zygomycosis presenting as an isolated fungus ball (bezoar) without renal parenchymal invasion. Since all previous descriptions of renal involvement have discussed tissue invasion, our case is unique in that the infection was confined solely in the renal pelvis and extended to the distal ureter without signs of contiguous renal infection. Our patient later developed renal insufficiency while receiving amphotericin B Lipid Complex (ABLC). The therapy was changed to posaconazole with subsequent clinical, mycologic, and radiographic improvement and the patient has remained free of recurrence 5 years after diagnosis.