Diagnosis Of Prosthetic Infection Research Articles

Translated article] Clinical validity of the intraoperative histology in the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection

Background and aimDifferent authors have demonstrated the usefulness of the histological analysis in the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection; however, its clinical validity is still controversial. The aim of this article is to describe and analyse the clinical validity of histological analysis in the diagnosis of prosthetic infection in patients undergoing hip or knee prosthetic replacement. Material and methodsWe present a retrospective study including 133 hip and knee prosthetic replacements performed in our centre between 2008 and 2020. A descriptive, bivariate statistical analysis was performed and the clinical validity of the histological analysis was determined. OutcomesThe clinical validity of the intraoperative histology offered a sensitivity of 48%, a specificity of 91%, a positive predictive value of 55% and a negative predictive value of 88%. ConclusionsThe determination of the clinical validity of histological analysis shows a high specificity. This analysis is an appropriate diagnostic tool for detecting healthy patients, with no infection.

Validez clínica de la histología intraoperatoria en el diagnóstico de la infección protésica

Background and aimDifferent authors have demonstrated the usefulness of the histological analysis in the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection; however, its clinical validity is still controversial. The aim of this article is to describe and analyze the clinical validity of histological analysis in the diagnosis of prosthetic infection in patients undergoing hip or knee prosthetic replacement. Material and methodsWe present a retrospective study including 133 hip and knee prosthetic replacements performed in our center between 2008 and 2020. A descriptive, bivariate statistical analysis was performed and the clinical validity of the histological analysis was determined. OutcomesThe clinical validity of the intraoperative histology offered a sensitivity of 48%, a specificity of 91%, a positive predictive value of 55% and a negative predictive value of 88%. ConclusionsThe determination of the clinical validity of histological analysis shows a high specificity. This analysis is an appropriate diagnostic tool for detecting healthy patients, with no infection.

Prosthetic joint infections and legal disputes: a threat to the future of prosthetic orthopedics

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) represent one of the major problems in orthopedic prosthetic surgery. The incidence of PJIs varies according to the site of intervention, and different published case studies report occurrence at 0.5 to 3.0% in the event of first implants, with a significant greater risk in the case of prosthesis revisions. The diagnosis of prosthetic infections is seldom simple, needing a multi-specialist approach, which includes the accurate collection of patient anamnesis, its clinical evaluation, the evaluation of inflammation biomarkers, and the use of imaging techniques. It is essential to identify the bacteria responsible for the infection not only for an accurate diagnosis, but also to select the correct antibiotic treatment. Failure to identify the bacteria involved makes it impossible to establish targeted systemic antibiotic therapy. In developed countries such as Italy, the right to health is guaranteed by the Constitution, where the institutions that provide health services must be staffed by a team of medical professionals that can guarantee the safest possible health pathways. Risk management represents the set of actions aimed at improving the quality of the care provided, the adherence to guidelines and good care practices with the final objective of guaranteeing patients’ safety. All hospitals, including the ones where prosthetic orthopedic surgery is performed, must adopt clinical risk management procedures which, through prospective tools aimed at preventing errors and complications and by retrospective methods, permit the identification of critical points in the different phases of the process and propose actions for improvement. The constant increase in litigation for malpractice in Western countries, especially in Italy, calls for special attention to the problem of PJIs and the in-depth assessment of medico-legal problems, also considering the new legislative initiatives in the field of medical malpractice. Hospitals need to tackle the onset of PJIs in a transparent and linear fashion by constantly informing the patient on their progress.

18F-FDG PET for diagnosing painful arthroplasty/prosthetic joint infection

Up to now, there were some studies about the role of 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT in the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection after arthroplasty with different values of sensitivity and specificity. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the published data regarding the diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) in prosthetic infection after arthroplasty. A comprehensive computer literature search of studies published regarding PET or PET/CT in patients suspicious of prosthetic infection was performed. Pooled sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of PET or PET/CT in patients suspicious of prosthetic infection on a per prosthesis-based analysis were calculated. Sixteen studies comprising 1101 prosthesis with suspicious of prosthetic infection after arthroplasty were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity of PET or PET/CT in detecting prosthetic infection was 87% [95% confidence interval (CI) 83–90%] on a per prosthesis-based analysis. The pooled specificity of PET or PET/CT in detecting prosthetic infection was 87% (95% CI 85–89%) on a per prosthesis-based analysis. The area under the ROC curve was 0.94 on a per prosthesis-based analysis. 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in subjects suspicious of prosthetic infection. However, various degrees of uptake in the asymptomatic patients are very common. Physicians should recognize these characteristics, and then 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT can act as an effective method in the diagnosis of prosthetic infection.

In Vitro Effect of Ultrasound on Bacteria and Suggested Protocol for Sonication and Diagnosis of Prosthetic Infections

In Vitro Effect of Ultrasound on Bacteria and Suggested Protocol for Sonication and Diagnosis of Prosthetic Infections

Poor predictive value of broad-range PCR for the detection of arthroplasty infection in 92 cases

Background The diagnosis of prosthetic infection remains a challenge, as no test is 100% sensitive and 100% specific Recent advances in molecular biology have enabled the detection of infection in culture negative cases.Patients and methods We evaluated the effectiveness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting infection in failed joint replacements prospectively in 91 consecutive patients (92 prosthetic joints) undergoing revision total hip or knee arthroplasty. Synovial fluid was collected intraoperatively and examined by broad-range PCR assay for detection of bacterial DNA. The clinical diagnosis of infection was based on the results of blood tests, preoperative joint aspiration, culture and histology of multiple intraoperative tissue samples, as well as the surgeon's assessment.12 joints (13%) were infected, but the PCR was positive in 32 cases. The sensitivity of the technique was 92%, the specificity 74%, the accuracy 76%, the positive predictive value 34%, and the negative predictive value was 98%.Interpretation The PCR technique cannot be recommended for the routine detection of prosthetic infection. The large number of false positive results may represent sample contamination, or bacterial presence related to low-virulence organisms, low bacterial load, or a strong host immune response.

Management of the Infected Total Joint Arthroplasty

Infection is the most severe complication of total joint arthroplasty. Prompt recognition and correct management, as well as prophylaxis against infection, are essential to minimize morbidity and maximize function. In this article, the etiology and diagnosis of prosthetic infection and the management of infected total arthroplasties of the hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, and wrist are discussed.