Campylobacter infection after prosthetic joint surgery

Abstract

Few cases of Campylobacter prosthetic joint infection (PJI) have been reported so far. We describe the demographic characteristics, underlying conditions, clinical features, treatment, and outcome of 8 patients with Campylobacter PJI in our hospital. All strains were confirmed at the French National Reference Center for Campylobacter and Helicobacter. Seven patients were infected with C. fetus and 1 with C. jejuni. Most patients were elderly and immunocompromised. Four had bacteremia, one of these with a pacemaker endocarditis. All the patients received at least 3 months of antibiotic treatment and 6 were treated surgically. The outcome was favorable at 2 years of follow-up in all except for 1 patient. Campylobacter PJI cases are rare but likely to become more frequent. C. fetus bacteremia should motivate physicians to look for a secondary localization such as a Campylobacter PJI.