Long-term outcome of prosthetic joint infections treated with two-stage revision.

Long-term evaluation of prosthetic joint infection treated with two-stage revision. Retrospective analysis of 102 periprosthetic infections treated with two-stage revision from 2010 to 2012 in Albenga hospital, Italy. During the second stage, samples for microbiological tests were collected. Failure was defined as a persistence of infection during the second stage or as a relapse during follow-up. 102 cases (55 hip, 47 knee) were analyzed. Patients were evaluated for a median of 44 months. 8/102 (8%) had positive cultures at replacement. These patients were treated with long-term antibiotic treatment and in 3/8 (38%) infection was cured. 9 patients were loss to follow-up or died, 6 patients (6%) had a relapse a median of 16,3 months from replanting. Risk factors significantly related to failures were diabetes and infection due to methicillin-resistant staphylococci. Two stage revision requires continued follow up. Screening for infection at replacement suggests prolonged antibiotic treatment.