title: Periprosthetic joint infection following Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of haematogenous periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) among patients with remote infections has been reported to be less than 1%. This incidence may be much higher in cases after documented Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). We evaluated the incidence of haematogenous PJI following SAB in patients with previously uninfected arthroplasties.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of our cohort including patients with SAB and prosthetic joints at the Basel University Medical Clinic Liestal from 1998 to 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 31 patients with 45 uninfected prosthetic joints in situ at the time of SAB. In 12 patients (39%) and 13 arthroplasties (29%), SAB caused PJI. In comparison to nosocomial SAB, infections occurred only in cases with community-acquired SAB (p=0.002). PJI was diagnosed within a median time of 2.5 days (IQR 1-3.5) after admission. The comparison between patients with and without PJI revealed no significant difference in gender, age, comorbidities and number of prostheses per patient and age of the prosthesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of PJI after SAB is high, ranging from 30% to 40%, and clearly higher than rates reported for bacteremia with other pathogens. PJIs were observed in community-onset bacteremia, in which there is a typically delay from symptoms to antimicrobial treatment.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infectious Diseases, Basel University Medical Clinic Liestal, Switzerland. sendi-pa@magnet.ch
authors.forename: Parham
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sendi
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Banderet
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Graber
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zimmerli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007720:Knee Prosthesis / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology