Anal Monkeypox Disease: Description of 65 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Monkeypox is a zoonosis endemic in Africa caused by 3 orthopoxvirus clades. Knowledge of the disease is limited, but a worldwide outbreak involving a new route of transmission was declared in April 2022. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe anal symptoms and outcomes in patients infected with Monkeypox virus presenting to an emergency proctology unit in Paris. DESIGN: This was an observational study. SETTING: We reported anal symptoms of all consecutive patients with monkeypox anal infection in a single proctology center between June 16, 2022, and July 26, 2022. Association with sexually transmitted infections and outcomes were also recorded. PATIENTS: Sixty-five men with a mean age of 39.6 (19.9-64.6) years with confirmed monkeypox anal infection were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anal symptoms and their severity were clinically assessed. A favorable outcome consisted of a complete resolution of clinical manifestation. RESULTS: Sexual transmission was reported in 51 patients (78.4%), among whom 63 (97%) were men who have sex with men. Twenty-eight (43%) were living with HIV, and 24 (36.9%) were taking tenofovir/emtricitabine for HIV preexposure prophylaxis. Anal symptoms appeared first in 36 patients (55.4%) and skin rash or other general symptoms in 22 patients (33.8%). Incubation time was 6.9 (1-26) days. Symptoms included painful perianal (n = 42 patients; 64.6%), anal (n = 28, 43%), and rectal (n = 25; 38.4%) ulcerations and perianal vesicles (n = 24; 36.9%). Proctitis was observed in 49 patients (75.4%). It was mild in 20 (40.8%) and intense in 29 (59.2%), and severe proctitis mimicking high intersphincteric suppuration was found in 4 (8.2%). Fifteen patients (23.1%) had concurrent sexually transmitted infection and 3 were hospitalized. Complete symptom resolution occurred within 12 days. LIMITATIONS: We performed a single-center study during a short period of time. CONCLUSIONS: Proctological symptoms are frequent in the current outbreak of monkeypox disease, probably linked to the route of transmission. Rectal ulcerations mimicking high intersphincteric suppuration should be recognized to avoid unnecessary surgery. See Video Abstract . ENFERMEDAD ANAL DE LA VIRUELA DEL MONO DESCRIPCIN DE CASOS: ANTECEDENTES:La viruela del simio mono es una zoonosis endémica en África causada por tres clados de orthopoxvirus. El conocimiento de la enfermedad es limitado, pero en abril de 2022 se declaró un brote mundial que implica una nueva vía de transmisión.OBJETIVO:Describir los síntomas anales y los resultados en pacientes que sufren de infección por Monkeypox que asistieron a una unidad de proctología de emergencia en París.DISEÑO:Un estudio observacional.ESCENARIO:Informamos los síntomas anales de todos los pacientes consecutivos con infección anal por viruela del mono en un solo centro de proctología entre el 16/6/2022 y el 26/7/2022. También se registró la asociación con infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) y el resultado.PACIENTES:Sesenta y cinco hombres de 39,6 [19,9-64,6] años con infección anal confirmada.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Los síntomas anales y su gravedad se evaluaron clínicamente. Un resultado favorable consistió en una resolución completa de la manifestación clínica.RESULTADOS:La transmisión sexual se informó en 51 (78,4%) pacientes, de los cuales 63 (97%) eran hombres que tuvieron sexo con hombres. Veintiocho (43%) vivían con el VIH y 24 (36,9%) tomaban Emtricitabina/Tenofovir para profilaxis previa por exposición al VIH. Los síntomas anales aparecieron primero en 36 (55,4%) pacientes y la erupción cutánea u otros síntomas generales en 22 (33,8%). El tiempo de incubación fue de 6,9 [1-26] días. Los síntomas incluyeron ulceraciones perianales dolorosas (n = 42 pacientes, 64,6%), anales (n = 28, 43%), rectales (n = 25, 38,4%) y vesículas perianales (n = 24, 36,9%). Se observó proctitis en 49 (75,4%) pacientes. Fue leve en 20 (40,8%) e intensa en 29 (59,2%) y proctitis severa simulando supuración interesfinteriana alta en 4 (8,2%). Quince (23,1%) pacientes presentaban ITS concurrentes y 3 fueron hospitalizados. La resolución completa de los síntomas ocurrió dentro de los 12 días.LIMITACIONES:Estudio de un solo centro y durante corto período de tiempo.CONCLUSIÓN:Los síntomas proctológicos son frecuentes en el brote actual de la enfermedad de la viruela del mono, probablemente relacionados con la vía de transmisión. Las ulceraciones rectales que simulan una supuración interesfinteriana alta deben reconocerse para evitar una cirugía innecesaria. (Traducción-Dr. Fidel Ruiz Healy ).

Unusual Cutibacterium acnes splenic abscess with bacteremia in an immunocompetent man: phylotyping and clonal complex analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cutibacterium acnes is an anaerobic bacterium mostly implicated in cutaneous and body-implant infections. Splenic abscess is a rare entity and C. acnes abscesses have only exceptionally been reported. We describe a spontaneous splenic C. acnes abscess in an immunocompetent man with no predisposing factors or identified portal of entry. His isolates were subjected to single-locus sequence typing (SLST) to explore their genetic relatedness and better understand this rare infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A splenic abscess was diagnosed on a computed-tomography scan in a 74-year-old man with chronic abdominal pain. No risk factor was identified. Abscess-drained pus and post-drainage blood cultures grew C. acnes. SLST of abscess and blood isolates showed that they belonged to the same C. acnes SLST type C1 found in normal skin and rarely in inflammatory skin disease. Specific virulence factors could not be identified. CONCLUSION: C. acnes abscesses are extremely rare and can develop in immunocompetent patients without an identifiable portal of entry. Molecular typing of clinical isolates can help confirm infection (versus contamination) and enables genetic background comparisons. Further research is needed to understand C. acnes tropism and virulence.

Streptococcal and Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic joint infections: are they really different?

BACKGROUND: Staphylococci and streptococci are the most frequent pathogens isolated from prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). The aim of this study was to analyze the outcome of streptococcal and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) PJIs. METHODS: All monomicrobial streptococcal and MSSA PJIs managed in a French Referral Center (2010-2017) were sampled from the prospective PJIs cohort study. The primary outcome of interest was the cumulative reinfection-free survival at a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: Two hundred and nine patients with 91 streptococcal and 132 staphylococcal infections were analyzed. Patients with streptococcal PJI were older, and infection was more frequently hematogenous. Reinfection-free survival rates at 2-years after all treatment strategies were higher for patients with streptococcal PJI (91% vs 81%; P = .012), but differed according to the strategy. After exchange arthroplasty, no outcome differences were observed (89% vs 93%; P = .878); after debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR), the reinfection-free survival rate was higher for patients with streptococcal PJI (87% vs 60%; P = .062). For patients managed with prolonged suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) alone, those with streptococcal PJIs had a 100% infection-free survival (100% vs 31%; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Reinfection-free survival after DAIR and SAT was better for patients with streptococcal than those with MSSA PJIs. No difference was observed after prosthesis exchange.

Measurement of Serum Anti-staphylococcal Antibodies Increases Positive Predictive Value of Preoperative Aspiration for Hip Prosthetic Joint Infection.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative synovial fluid culture is pivotal in the early diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) but may yield false-positive and false-negative results. We evaluated the predictive value of synovial fluid culture results combined with the measurement of serum anti-staphylococcal antibodies (SASA). QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) For hip and knee PJI, does combining positive SASA results with preoperative synovial culture results improve the positive predictive value (PPV) of preoperative synovial fluid culture alone? (2) Does combining preoperative synovial fluid culture results with a positive cell count and differential result increase the PPV of preoperative synovial fluid culture alone? (3) What proportion of isolated organisms exhibit concordance in antibiotic susceptibility: preoperative aspiration versus intraoperative isolates? METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at two French reference centers that manage bone and joint infections and included 481 adult patients who had a revision or resection arthroplasty between June 25, 2012 and June 23, 2014. Exclusion criteria including no serum sample available for immunoassay, the lack of microbiological documentation, and the absence of preoperative aspiration reduced the patient number to 353. Seven patients with an undetermined SASA result were excluded from the analysis. We also excluded patients with PJI involving more than one Staphylococcus species (polystaphylococcal infection) and those in whom more than one Staphylococcus species was recovered from the preoperative synovial fluid culture (polystaphylococcal synovial fluid culture). In total, 340 patients were included in the analysis (no infection, 67% [226 of 340]; staphylococcal infection, 21% [71 of 340]; other infection, 13% [43 of 340]). The preoperative synovial fluid analysis included a cell count and differential and bacterial culture. SASAs were measured using a multiplex immunoassay. The diagnosis of PJI was determined using the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) criteria [] and intraoperative tissue culture at the time of revision surgery was used as the gold standard (at least one positive intraoperative sample for a "virulent" organism (such as S. aureus) or two positive samples for a "non-virulent" (for example S. epidermidis). RESULTS: SASA increased the PPV compared with synovial fluid culture alone (92% [95% CI 82 to 97] versus 79% [95% CI 68 to 87]; p = 0.04); when stratified by site, an increase in PPV was seen in hip infections (100% [95% CI 89 to 100] versus 77% [95% CI 63 to 88]; p = 0.01) but not in knee infections (84% [95% CI 66 to 95] versus 80% [95% CI 64 to 91]; p = 0.75). A positive cell count and differential result increased the PPV of staphylococcal synovial fluid cultures compared with synovial fluid culture alone (86% [95% CI 70 to 95] versus 79% [95% CI 68 to 87]; p = 0.36); when stratified by site, no difference in hip and knee infections was observed (86% [95% CI 67 to 96] versus 77% [95% CI 63 to 88]; p = 0.42) and 86% [95% CI 70 to 95] versus 80% [95% CI 64 to 91]; p = 0.74). CONCLUSION: SASA measurement improves the predictive value of synovial fluid cultures of the hip for all staphylococcal organisms, including coagulase-negative staphylococci, but the PPV of SASA plus synovial fluid culture it is not superior to the PPV of synovial fluid cell count/differential plus synovial culture for the knee. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study.

In-Host Adaptation of Salmonella enterica Serotype Dublin during Prosthetic Hip Joint Infection.

Genome degradation has been central to the adaptation of Salmonella enterica serotypes to their hosts throughout evolution. We witnessed the patho-adaptation of a strain of Salmonella Dublin (a cattle-adapted serotype) to a human host during the course of a recurrent prosthetic hip joint infection evolving over several years.

Cutibacterium (Formerly Propionibacterium) avidum: A Rare but Avid Agent of Prosthetic Hip Infection.

BACKGROUND: Cutibacterium spp. (formerly Propionibacterium) are slow-growing cutaneous anaerobic commensals, rarely reported in prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). We describe epidemiological, clinical, biological, and radiological characteristics of 15 Cutibacterium avidum PJIs, their treatments, and outcomes. METHODS: This study is an observational, monocenter study (January 2004 to April 2017), with comparison of C avidum vs Cutibacterium acnes (n = 40) PJI characteristics. RESULTS: Among 1179 PJIs treated during the study period, 15 (1%) PJIs were due to C avidum (14 classified as late chronic and 1 as early postoperative). They involved only obese patients with hip arthroplasties (median age 65 years, body mass index 35 kg/m2). Twelve patients' PJIs developed after primary hip arthroplasty. Thirteen patients' last clean operation had used an anterior approach. Fourteen preoperative joint aspirate cultures yielded C avidum. The 14 chronic PJIs were treated with 1-stage exchange arthroplasty, the acute case with excision synovectomy. Antibiotic therapy was administered for 12 [6-13] weeks, intravenously for 4 [2-6] weeks. The most used first-line agents were intravenous clindamycin (n = 8) or cefazolin (n = 6). After median follow-up of 27 [3-136] months, 1 relapse occurred. Compared to C acnes PJI patients, those with C avidum PJIs were significantly younger, had higher body mass indices, had only hip involvement, and had more frequent anterior surgical approach. C acnes PJIs were more frequent after revision arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: C avidum is a rare PJI agent occurring in a particular subpopulation. Joint aspiration is the key diagnostic tool. Our results suggest that PJI risk factors include obesity, primary hip arthroplasty, and anterior surgical approach. Efforts to prevent these infections in high-risk patients should be developed.

Incidence of urinary tract infections and antibiotic resistance in the outpatient setting: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: In 2012-2013, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in women visiting a general practitioner for urinary tract infection (UTI), to estimate the annual incidence of UTIs due to antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli). METHODS: A sampling design (stratification, stages and sampling weights) was taken into account in all analyses. Urine analyses were performed for each woman and centralised in one laboratory. RESULTS: Among 538 included women, urine culture confirmed UTI in 75.2 % of cases. E. coli represented 82.8 % of species. Among E. coli, resistance (I + R) was most common to amoxicillin [38 % (95 % confidence interval 31.1-44.5)] and to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole [18.1 % (12.0-24.1)]. Resistance to ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime was lower [1.9 % in both cases, (0.3-3.5)], as it was for nitrofurantoin [0.4 (0-1.0)] and fosfomycin (0). Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) represented 1.6 % of E. coli (0.2-2.9). Annual incidence rate of confirmed UTI was estimated at 2400 per 100,000 women (1800-3000). Incidence rates of UTI due to fluoroquinolone-resistant and ESBL-producing E. coli were estimated at 102 per 100,000 women (75-129) and at 32 (24-41), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ESBL had been found in a community population, and even though the rate was low, it represents a warning and confirms that surveillance should continue.

Genome-wide mosaicism within Mycobacterium abscessus: evolutionary and epidemiological implications.

BACKGROUND: In mycobacteria, conjugation differs from the canonical Hfr model, but is still poorly understood. Here, we quantified this evolutionary processe in a natural mycobacterial population, taking advantage of a large clinical strain collection of the emerging pathogen Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB). RESULTS: Multilocus sequence typing confirmed the existence of three M. abscessus subspecies, and unravelled extensive allelic exchange between them. Furthermore, an asymmetrical gene flow occurring between these main lineages was detected, resulting in highly admixed strains. Intriguingly, these mosaic strains were significantly associated with cystic fibrosis patients with lung infections or chronic colonization. Genome sequencing of those hybrid strains confirmed that half of their genomic content was remodelled in large genomic blocks, leading to original tri-modal 'patchwork' architecture. One of these hybrid strains acquired a locus conferring inducible macrolide resistance, and a large genomic insertion from a slowly growing pathogenic mycobacteria, suggesting an adaptive gene transfer. This atypical genomic architecture of the highly recombinogenic strains is consistent with the distributive conjugal transfer (DCT) observed in M. smegmatis. Intriguingly, no known DCT function was found in M. abscessus chromosome, however, a p-RAW-like genetic element was detected in one of the highly admixed strains. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results strongly suggest that MAB evolution is sporadically punctuated by dramatic genome wide remodelling events. These findings might have far reaching epidemiological consequences for emerging mycobacterial pathogens survey in the context of increasing numbers of rapidly growing mycobacteria and M. tuberculosis co-infections.

Multiplex Antibody Detection for Noninvasive Genus-Level Diagnosis of Prosthetic Joint Infection.

We developed and evaluated a multiplex antibody detection-based immunoassay for the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Sixteen protein antigens from three Staphylococcusspecies (Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus lugdunensis) (8 antigens),Streptococcus agalactiae(4 antigens), and Propionibacterium acnes(4 antigens) were selected by comparative immune proteomics using serum samples from PJI cases versus controls. A bead-based multiplex immunoassay that measured serum IgG against purified, recombinant forms of each of the 16 antigens was developed. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the performance of the assay. A PJI was defined by the presence of a sinus tract and/or positive intraoperative sample cultures (at least one sample yielding a virulent organism or at least two samples yielding the same organism). A total of 455 consecutive patients undergoing revision or resection arthroplasty (hip, 66.3%; knee, 29.7%; shoulder, 4%) at two French reference centers for the management of PJI were included: 176 patients (38.7%) were infected and 279 (61.3%) were not. About 60% of the infections involved at least one of the species targeted by the assay. The sensitivity/specificity values were 72.3%/80.7% for targeted staphylococci, 75%/92.6% forS. agalactiae, and 38.5%/84.8% forP. acnes The assay was more sensitive for infections occurring >3 months after arthroplasty and for patients with an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). However, it detected 64.3% and 58.3% of targeted staphylococcal infections associated with normal CRP and ESR values, respectively. This new multiplex immunoassay approach is a novel noninvasive tool to evaluate patients suspected of having PJIs and provides information complementary to that from inflammatory marker values.

Mycobacterium lutetiense sp. nov., Mycobacterium montmartrense sp. nov. and Mycobacterium arcueilense sp. nov., members of a novel group of non-pigmented rapidly growing mycobacteria recovered from a water distribution system.

From our recent survey of non-pigmented rapidly growing mycobacteria in the Parisian water system, three groups of isolates (taxons 1-3) corresponding to possible novel species were selected for taxonomic study. The three taxa each formed creamy white, rough colonies, had an optimal growth temperature of 30 °C, hydrolyzed Tween 80, were catalase-positive at 22 °C and expressed arylsulfatase activity. All three were susceptible to amikacin, ciprofloxacin and tigecycline. The three taxa produced specific sets of mycolic acids, including one family that has never previously been described, as determined by thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance. The partial rpoB sequences (723 bp) showed 4-6 % divergence from each other and more than 5 % differences from the most similar species. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences showed 99 % identity within each species. The most similar sequences for 16S rRNA genes (98-99 % identity over 1444-1461 bp) were found in the Mycobacterium fortuitum group, Mycobacterium septicum and Mycobacterium farcinogenes. The three taxa formed a new clade (bootstrap value, 99 %) on trees reconstructed from concatenated partial 16S rRNA, hsp65 and rpoB sequences. The above results led us to propose three novel species for the three groups of isolates, namely Mycobacterium lutetiense sp. nov. [type strain 071T=ParisRGMnew_1T (CIP 110656T=DSM 46713T)], Mycobacterium montmartrense sp. nov. [type strain 196T=ParisRGMnew_2T (CIP 110655T=DSM 46714T)] and Mycobacteriu marcueilense sp. nov. [type strain of 269T=ParisRGMnew_3T (CIP 110654T=DSM 46715T)].

Ruminococcus gnavus total hip arthroplasty infection in a 62-year-old man with ulcerative colitis.

We report the case of a total hip arthroplasty infection caused by Ruminococcus gnavus in a 62-year-old man with ulcerative colitis. The bacterium was perfectly identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.

Clonal relationship and differentiation among Mycobacterium abscessus isolates as determined using the semiautomated repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence PCR-based DiversiLab system.

Mycobacterium abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacterium that causes respiratory tract infections in predisposed patients, such as those with cystic fibrosis and nosocomial skin and soft tissue infections. In order to investigate the clonal relationships between the strains causing epidemic episodes, we evaluated the discriminatory power of the semiautomated DiversiLab (DL) repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence PCR (REP-PCR) test for M. abscessus genotyping. Since M. abscessus was shown to be composed of subspecies (M. abscessus subsp. massiliense, M. abscessus subsp. bolletii, and M. abscessus subsp. abscessus), we also evaluated the ability of this technique to differentiate subspecies. The technique was applied to two collections of clinical isolates, (i) 83 M. abscessus original isolates (43 M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, 12 M. abscessus subsp. bolletii, and 28 M. abscessus subsp. massiliense) from infected patients and (ii) 35 repeated isolates obtained over 1 year from four cystic fibrosis patients. The DL REP-PCR test was standardized for DNA extraction, DNA amplification, and electrophoresis pattern comparisons. Among the isolates from distinct patients, 53/83 (62%) isolates showed a specific pattern, and 30 were distributed in 11 clusters and 6 patterns, with 2 to 4 isolates per pattern. The clusters and patterns did not fully correlate with multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis results. This revealed a high genomic diversity between patients, with a discriminatory power of 98% (Simpson's diversity index). However, since some isolates shared identical patterns, this raises the question of whether it is due to transmission between patients or a common reservoir. Multiple isolates from the same patient showed identical patterns, except for one patient infected by two strains. Between the M. abscessus subspecies, the indexes were <70%, indicating that the DL REP-PCR test is not an accurate tool for identifying organisms to the subspecies level. REP-PCR appears to be a rapid genotyping method that is useful for investigating epidemics of M. abscessus infections.

Multilocus sequence typing scheme versus pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for typing Mycobacterium abscessus isolates.

Outbreaks of infections by rapidly growing mycobacteria following invasive procedures, such as ophthalmological, laparoscopic, arthroscopic, plastic, and cardiac surgeries, mesotherapy, and vaccination, have been detected in Brazil since 1998. Members of the Mycobacterium chelonae-Mycobacterium abscessus group have caused most of these outbreaks. As part of an epidemiological investigation, the isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In this project, we performed a large-scale comparison of PFGE profiles with the results of a recently developed multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for M. abscessus. Ninety-three isolates were analyzed, with 40 M. abscessus subsp. abscessus isolates, 47 M. abscessus subsp. bolletii isolates, and six isolates with no assigned subspecies. Forty-five isolates were obtained during five outbreaks, and 48 were sporadic isolates that were not associated with outbreaks. For MLST, seven housekeeping genes (argH, cya, glpK, gnd, murC, pta, and purH) were sequenced, and each isolate was assigned a sequence type (ST) from the combination of obtained alleles. The PFGE patterns of DraI-digested DNA were compared with the MLST results. All isolates were analyzable by both methods. Isolates from monoclonal outbreaks showed unique STs and indistinguishable or very similar PFGE patterns. Thirty-three STs and 49 unique PFGE patterns were identified among the 93 isolates. The Simpson's index of diversity values for MLST and PFGE were 0.69 and 0.93, respectively, for M. abscessus subsp. abscessus and 0.96 and 0.97, respectively, for M. abscessus subsp. bolletii. In conclusion, the MLST scheme showed 100% typeability and grouped monoclonal outbreak isolates in agreement with PFGE, but it was less discriminative than PFGE for M. abscessus.

Arthroplasty after septic arthritis of the native hip and knee: retrospective analysis of 49 joints.

Background: Arthroplasty after septic arthritis (SA) treatment raises diagnostic and therapeutic questions. The main objective was to evaluate infection-free survival of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) post-SA. Other objectives were to describe the population's characteristics, surgical strategies, results of preoperative examinations and cultures of intraoperative samples taken at implantation, and postoperative antibiotic therapy. Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, monocenter study, from January 2005 to May 2019, including all patients undergoing TKA or THA with prior or ongoing SA in the same joint. Infection-free survival was analyzed and reported. Results: Forty-seven patients, 29 men, 49 joints operated on (30 knees, 19 hips), were included. Median SA-to-arthroplasty interval was 32 [1-216] weeks. It was < 2  years for 43 joints and < 6  months for 19 joints. Six patients underwent arthroplasty while still on SA treatment. One-stage arthroplasty was done for 43 joints and two-stage arthroplasty for 6 joints. Eight (16 %) cultures of intraoperative specimens were positive. Median durations of postoperative antibiotic therapy were 10 d for sterile cultures and 82 d for those that were positive. At 2 years, infection-free survival rate was 95.9 % ( ± 0.02 ). After a median follow-up of 47 [18-142] months, no SA relapse was observed, but five patients developed new periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) with a different microorganism. Conclusion: Arthroplasty may be a post-SA option, even within a short period of time. One-stage arthroplasty can be done if synovectomy is thorough, intraoperative samples are taken and antibiotics are administered until those culture results become available. We observed no SA relapse, but new PJIs occurred.

Microbiological Diagnosis of Osteoarticular Infections: Comparison between BacT/Alert Bottles and Schaedler Broth.

Microbiological diagnosis of osteoarticular infections (OAIs) is based on culture on several media. Experts recommend the use of liquid media, such as Schaedler broth, but many laboratories use blood culture media with automated detection instead for convenience. We aimed to evaluate the performance of culturing in BacT/Alert (bioMérieux) bottles for the microbiological diagnosis of OAI versus culturing in Schaedler broth. This prospective study was conducted on all osteoarticular specimens sent to the microbiology laboratories of the Versailles and Diaconesses Croix Saint-Simon hospitals between October 2016 and February 2017. Each sample was inoculated onto solid agar, into BacT/Alert bottles incubated for 14 days, and into a Schaedler broth incubated for 14 days with daily reading. The gold standard was defined as follow: OAI was diagnosed for a patient if at least two samples were positive for a nonskin microorganism and at least three for a cutaneous species. The times to detection were compared. A total of 1,616 specimens from 349 patients were collected. BacT/Alert bottles were significantly more sensitive than the Schaedler process for OAI diagnosis (114/135 OAI detected by BacT/Alert bottles; 91/135 OAI detected by Schaedler broth; +17.0% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 6.8%, 27.3%]; P = 0.0004). The time to detection was significantly shorter using BacT/Alert bottles (2.0 ± 2.2 days) than using Schaedler broth (4.6 ± 3.6 days, P < 0.0001). The culture of osteoarticular specimens in BacT/Alert bottles allows bacterial enrichment with an automated detection of positivity. Their use decreased detection time and increased sensitivity, making it a useful tool for the diagnosis of OAI that should be included among the recommended media. IMPORTANCE Microbiological diagnosis of OAI is based on culture on several media. French experts recommend the use of liquid media such as Schaedler broth, but many laboratories use blood culture media with automated detection in substitution because it is more convenient. We report here a prospective multicentric study evaluating the performance of culture in BacT/Alert (bioMérieux) bottles for microbiological diagnosis of OAI in comparison with culture in Schaedler broth. A total of 1,616 osteoarticular specimens from 349 patients were collected and inoculated onto agar, into BacT/Alert aerobic and anaerobic bottles, and into a Schaedler broth. BacT/Alert bottles were significantly more sensitive than the Schaedler process for OAI diagnosis (+17.0% [95% CI, 6.8%, 27.3%], P = 0.0004). The time to detection was significantly shorter for the BacT/Alert bottles (2.0 ± 2.2 days) than for Schaedler broth (4.6 ± 3.6 days, P < 0.0001). This study suggests that the use of BacT/Alert bottles should be recommended in microbiological diagnosis of OAI.

Successive new-pathogen prosthetic joint reinfections: Observational cohort study on 61 patients.

OBJECTIVES: Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) treatment failure may be due to relapsing infection (same microorganism) or new-pathogen reinfection (npPJI). The aim was to describe npPJI epidemiological, clinical and microbiological characteristics, their treatments and outcomes, and identify their risk factors. METHODS: This observational, single-center, cohort study was conducted in a French Referral Center for Bone-and-Joint Infections between September 2004 and December 2015. Patients treated for at least two successive hip or knee PJIs in the same joint with a different pathogen were identified in the prospective database. We compared each patient's first PJI and subsequent npPJI(s) to analyze the type and microbiological characteristics of npPJIs. To search for npPJI risk factors, we compared those cases to a random selection of 122 "unique-episode" PJIs treated during the study period. RESULTS: Among 990 PJIs, 79 (8%) npPJIs occurring in 61 patients were included. New-pathogen prosthetic joint infections (npPJIs) developed more frequently in knee (14%) than hip prostheses (5%). Median interval from the first PJI to the npPJI was 26 months. New-pathogen prosthetic joint reinfections (npPJIs) more frequently spread hematogenously (60% vs 33%) and were predominantly caused by Staphylococcus (36%) or Streptococcus (33%) species. Multivariate analysis identified two risk factors: chronic dermatitis (odds ratio: 6.23; P<0.05) and cardiovascular diseases (odds ratio: 2.71; P<0.01). A curative strategy was applied to 70%: DAIR (29%), one-stage (28%), two-stage exchange arthroplasty (7%) or other strategies (7%). The others received prolonged suppressive antibiotic therapy (30%). CONCLUSIONS: New-pathogen prosthetic joint infections (npPJIs) are complex infections requiring management by multidisciplinary teams that should be adapted to each clinical situation.

Cutibacterium acnes Prosthetic Joint Infections: Is Rifampicin-Combination Therapy Beneficial?

No consensus has been reached on the optimal antibiotic regimen to treat Cutibacterium acnes PJIs (Ca-PJIs). In vitro studies showed excellent rifampicin efficacy against biofilm-associated C. acnes infections, but clinical studies did not confirm the superiority of rifampicin-combined therapy over monotherapy. This prospective cohort study was undertaken to analyze the outcomes of 70 patients who underwent exchange arthroplasty for chronic monomicrobial Ca-PJI and were treated with rifampicin or without between 2004 and 2019. The 37 patients treated from January 2004 to August 2014 were prescribed rifampicin-combination therapy and the 33 treated from September 2014 to December 2019 received monotherapy without rifampicin. The primary endpoint was the 2-year Kaplan-Meier-estimated reinfection-free probability, including relapses and new-pathogen PJIs. The 2-year reinfection-free rate was high and not different for patients who had received rifampicin or not (89.2% vs. 93.8%, respectively; p = 0.524). None of the patients relapsed and six developed new-pathogen PJIs. Our results do not support a benefit of rifampicin-combination therapy for patients who underwent exchange arthroplasty for chronic Ca-PJIs.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa prosthetic joint-infection outcomes: Prospective, observational study on 43 patients.

Objectives: Analysis the outcomes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa prosthetic joint infection (PJI), and of their clinical and microbiological characteristics, surgical strategies and antibiotic treatments. Methods: Monocenter cohort study in a Bone-and-Joint-Infection Referral Center (08/2004 to 10/2018) including all consecutive P. aeruginosa PJIs. Data were extracted from the prospective database, including the following events: relapses, new PJIs, related deaths. Results: Median [IQR]: among the 43 patients included (28 females; 72 [63-80] years old; 27 hip, 15 knee, and 1 shoulder PJIs), 29 (67%) had underlying comorbidities, 12 (28%) had previously been treated for another PJI and 9 (21%) had undergone previous surgeries for their P. aeruginosa PJI. Eleven (26%) PJIs were polymicrobial, 16 (37%) strains were wild type, 8 (19%) ciprofloxacin-resistant. PJIs were classified as late chronic (n = 33), early postoperative (n = 9) or acute hematogenous infection (n = 1). Forty patients underwent surgery: 27 one-stage and 5 two-stage exchanges, 3 debridement and implant retention, and 5 other surgical strategies. Antibiotic treatments were: 29 received 41 [37-43] days of combination therapy (IV anti-pseudomonal ß-lactam and 3-5 days of amikacin, then ß-lactam and oral ciprofloxacin), followed by oral ciprofloxacin for a total of 12 weeks; 10 received only IV antibiotics for 83 [77-86] days, including 37 [32-46] days of combination therapy; 49 days of ceftazidime alone for 1. During follow-up lasting 33 [24-64.5] months, 2 relapses, 3 new PJIs, and 2 related deaths occurred. Thirty-three (82%) patients and 93% of those managed with one-stage exchange experienced no event. Conclusion: Outcomes of our cohort's P. aeruginosa PJIs-predominantly monomicrobial, chronic, ciprofloxacin-susceptible, treated with one-stage exchange and prolonged IV antibiotics-were 82% favorable.