Severe Clostridium difficile infection with extremely high leucocytosis complicated by a concomitant bloodstream infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae after osteomyelitis surgery: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Clostridium difficile is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections. Pseudomembranous colitis is a serious complication of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) after septic surgery and antibacterial therapy. A sudden white blood cell (WBC) count increase and extremely high leucocytosis may be a predictor of a poor outcome. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 77 years old male was hospitalised because of lower leg osteomyelitis and was operated. He received antibacterial treatment with Cefazolin for three days and then developed a high WBC count. The course of the disease was fulminant, with a rapid increase in the WBC count up to 132,000/mm3 and a septic shock, and required cardiovascular and ventilatory support. The patient was started on intravenous Metronidazole (500 mg every eight hours) and oral Vancomycin (500 mg every six hours). The patient's condition gradually improved over a period of six days. Then a hyperthermia above 39 degrees Celsius, hypotension and painful abdominal bloating developed, and the WBC count peaked to 186,000/mm3. The blood cultures were positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae. The patient died. DISCUSSION: In our case, we describe a community-onset, healthcare-facility-associated, severe CDI complicated by a blood stream infection. The administration of oral Vancomycin, which is highly active against the intestinal flora, could have been responsible for the persistence and overgrowth of Klebsiella pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: Severe CDIs after orthopaedic surgery and antibacterial treatment complicated by the development of nosocomial infection significantly worsen the prognosis of the disease. Careful consideration of antibacterial therapy and early symptom recognition may help prevent catastrophic events.

Erysipelas or cellulitis with a prosthetic joint in situ.

We describe a case of a 60-year old male who developed an acute prosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the knee, secondary to erysipelas of the lower leg due to beta-hemolytic Group G streptococci. As it is unknown how often this phenomenon occurs in patients with prosthetic implants and which patients are most prone to develop this complication, we analyzed: i) the incidence of the development of a PJI in these patients and ii) the clinical characteristics of streptococcal PJI during an episode of erysipelas/cellulitis. Based on a retrospective analysis of patients with a prosthetic implant in situ presenting at the emergency department with erysipelas/cellulitis, 1 out of 10 patients developed a PJI. An additional analysis within a multicenter cohort on streptococcal PJI demonstrated in 22 patients that a secondary PJI due to erysipelas/cellulitis mostly develops in young implants (<5 years old). In 20 cases (91%), the skin infection was in the same limb as the joint prosthesis suggesting contiguous spread of bacteria. These data emphasizes the importance of preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of skin infections in patients with prosthetic implants, and if an erysipelas or cellulitis does occur, to monitor patients carefully.

The Not-So-Good Prognosis of Streptococcal Periprosthetic Joint Infection Managed by Implant Retention: The Results of a Large Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND.: Streptococci are not an infrequent cause of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Management by debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) is thought to produce a good prognosis, but little is known about the real likelihood of success. METHODS.: A retrospective, observational, multicenter, international study was performed during 2003-2012. Eligible patients had a streptococcal PJI that was managed with DAIR. The primary endpoint was failure, defined as death related to infection, relapse/persistence of infection, or the need for salvage therapy. RESULTS.: Overall, 462 cases were included (median age 72 years, 50% men). The most frequent species was Streptococcus agalactiae (34%), and 52% of all cases were hematogenous. Antibiotic treatment was primarily using ß-lactams, and 37% of patients received rifampin. Outcomes were evaluable in 444 patients: failure occurred in 187 (42.1%; 95% confidence interval, 37.5%-46.7%) after a median of 62 days from debridement; patients without failure were followed up for a median of 802 days. Independent predictors (hazard ratios) of failure were rheumatoid arthritis (2.36), late post-surgical infection (2.20), and bacteremia (1.69). Independent predictors of success were exchange of removable components (0.60), early use of rifampin (0.98 per day of treatment within the first 30 days), and long treatments (≥21 days) with ß-lactams, either as monotherapy (0.48) or in combination with rifampin (0.34). CONCLUSIONS.: This is the largest series to our knowledge of streptococcal PJI managed by DAIR, showing a worse prognosis than previously reported. The beneficial effects of exchanging the removable components and of ß-lactams are confirmed and maybe also a potential benefit from adding rifampin.