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Prosthetic joint infections in the elderly

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Abstract

Introduction

Recent age-projection showed that the number of elderly is expected to rise significantly over the next decades worldwide. Accordingly, the prevalence of chronic and degenerative diseases will increase, among them osteoarthritis, resulting in more and older patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty and thereby also being at risk for associated complications. Among those, prosthetic joint infections are feared as threatening complication with a mortality approaching 8 % and causing long-term antibiotic therapy, immobilization and often account for operative revision.

Materials and Methods

This review summarizes epidemiological, microbiological, and therapeutic aspects of prosthetic joint infection in the elderly population.

Conclusion

Considering the increase in the number of PJIs in the forthcoming years in most countries, a common action to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality is strongly encouraged in Europe.

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Abbreviations

THA:

Total hip arthroplasty

PJI:

Prosthetic joint infection

CRP:

C reactive protein

ESR:

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

WBC:

White blood count

PCT:

Procalcitonin

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Acknowledgments

The review was partially funded by a grant from the Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF): project “Clinical research unit for Health-care associated infection (TTU-HAARBI)”. G. De Angelis, N.T. Mutters and E. Tacconelli are active members of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases—Study Group for Infections in the Elderly (ESGIE) and would like to thank the ESGIE members for their stimulating support to write this review.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Catholic University, largo A. Gemelli 8, 00164, Rome, Italy

    G. De Angelis

  2. Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    N. T. Mutters

  3. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine I, Raum 925, Ebene 3 Gebäude Nord, Tübingen University Hospital, Otfried-Müller-Straße 12, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    L. Minkley, F. Holderried & E. Tacconelli

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  1. G. De Angelis
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  2. N. T. Mutters
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  5. E. Tacconelli
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Correspondence to E. Tacconelli.

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De Angelis, G., Mutters, N.T., Minkley, L. et al. Prosthetic joint infections in the elderly. Infection 43, 629–637 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-015-0806-6

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