Should all patients with a culture-negative periprosthetic joint infection be treated with antibiotics?

Aims The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of culture-negative periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) when adequate methods of culture are used, and to evaluate the outcome in patients who were treated with antibiotics for a culture-negative PJI compared with those in whom antibiotics were withheld. Methods A multicentre observational study was undertaken: 1,553 acute and 1,556 chronic PJIs, diagnosed between 2013 and 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. Culture-negative PJIs were diagnosed according to the Muskuloskeletal Infection Society (MSIS), International Consensus Meeting (ICM), and European Bone and Joint Society (EBJIS) definitions. The primary outcome was recurrent infection, and the secondary outcome was removal of the prosthetic components for any indication, both during a follow-up period of two years. Results None of the acute PJIs and 70 of the chronic PJIs (4.7%) were culture-negative; a total of 36 culture-negative PJIs (51%) were treated with antibiotics, particularly those with histological signs of infection. After two years of follow-up, no recurrent infections occurred in patients in whom antibiotics were withheld. The requirement for removal of the components for any indication during follow-up was not significantly different in those who received antibiotics compared with those in whom antibiotics were withheld (7.1% vs 2.9%; p = 0.431). Conclusion When adequate methods of culture are used, the incidence of culture-negative PJIs is low. In patients with culture-negative PJI, antibiotic treatment can probably be withheld if there are no histological signs of infection. In all other patients, diagnostic efforts should be made to identify the causative microorganism by means of serology or molecular techniques. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):183–188.

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Are Cement Spacers and Beads Loaded with the Correct Antibiotic(s) at the Site of Periprosthetic Hip and Knee Joint Infections?

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10020143 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 143

Author(s):

Konstantinos Anagnostakos ◽

Ismail Sahan

Keyword(s):

Knee Joint ◽

Bone Cement ◽

Staphylococcus Epidermidis ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Great Majority ◽

Future Studies ◽

Joint Infections ◽

Knee Joint Infection ◽

Culture Negative

The optimal impregnation of antibiotic-loaded bone cement in the treatment of periprosthetic hip and knee joint infection is unknown. It is also unclear, whether a suboptimal impregnation might be associated with a higher persistence of infection. A total of 93 patients (44 knee, 49 hip) were retrospectively evaluated, and the most common organism was a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis, followed by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. Of all the organisms, 37.1% were resistant against gentamicin and 54.2% against clindamycin. All organisms were susceptible against vancomycin. In 41 cases, gentamicin-loaded beads were inserted and in 52 cases, spacers: (2 loaded only with gentamicin, 18 with gentamicin + vancomycin, 19 with gentamicin + clindamycin, and 13 with gentamicin + vancomycin + clindamycin). The analysis of each antibiotic impregnation showed that complete susceptibility was present in 38.7% of the cases and partial susceptibility in 28%. In the remaining 33.3%, no precise statement can be made because either there was a culture-negative infection or the antibiotic(s) were not tested against the specific organism. At a mean follow-up of 27.9 months, treatment failure was observed in 6.7% of the cases. Independent of which antibiotic impregnation was used, when the organism was susceptible against the locally inserted antibiotics or not tested, reinfection or persistence of infection was observed in the great majority of cases. Future studies about the investigation of the optimal impregnation of antibiotic-loaded bone cement are welcome.

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Streptococcus bovis Hip and Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infections: A Series of 9 Cases

Journal of Bone and Joint Infection ◽

10.7150/jbji.36923 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeremy C. Thompson ◽

Ashton H. Goldman ◽

Aaron J. Tande ◽

Douglas R. Osmon ◽

Rafael J. Sierra

Keyword(s):

Symptom Onset ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Revision Arthroplasty ◽

Recurrent Infection ◽

Streptococcus Bovis ◽

Loss To Follow Up ◽

Joint Infections ◽

Prosthetic Joint ◽

Mucosal Abnormality

Abstract. Introduction: Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) due to Streptococcus bovis group (SBG), specifically S. bovis biotype I (S. gallolyticus), is rare and associated with colorectal carcinoma. Little has been published regarding SBG PJI. We analyzed nine cases of SBG PJI at our institution, the largest series to date.Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with SBG PJI between 2000-2017 were reviewed. Patients were followed until death, failure, or loss to follow-up. Mean follow-up was 37 months (range 0.5-74 months).Results: Nine PJI in 8 patients with mean prosthesis age at diagnosis of 8 years (range 4 weeks-17 years) were identified. The median duration between symptom onset and treatment was 38 weeks (range 0.3 weeks-175 weeks). 8/9 had their PJI eradicated with treatment based on acuity of symptoms. Acute PJI (2) was treated with DAIR, and chronic PJI (7) was treated with 2-stage revision arthroplasty. 1 PJI with chronic PJI developed recurrent infection after initial treatment. All patients received post-operative IV antibiotics. 7/8 patients received Ceftriaxone. Three patients received lifelong oral antibiotics. 7/8 patients underwent colonoscopy. 5/7 patients were found to have polyps following PJI diagnosis with one carcinoma and two dysplastic polyps. The two patients without polyps had identifiable gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal abnormality: tooth extraction prior to symptom onset and diverticulosis on chronic anticoagulation.Conclusion: SBG PJI is typically due to hematologic seeding. Colonoscopy should be pursued for patients with SBG PJI. Surgical treatment dictated by infection acuity and 6-week course of Ceftriaxone seems sufficient to control infection.

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Sonication of retrieved implants improves sensitivity in the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12891-019-3006-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Petri Bellova ◽

Veronika Knop-Hammad ◽

Matthias Königshausen ◽

Eileen Mempel ◽

Sven Frieler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Sample ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Coagulase Negative Staphylococci ◽

International Consensus ◽

Paired Samples ◽

Joint Infections ◽

Difficult Challenge ◽

Culture Negative ◽

Fluid Culture

Abstract Background Sonication is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). However, conditions and definition criteria for PJI vary among studies. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance (i.e., specificity, sensitivity) of sonicate fluid culture (SFC) against periprosthetic tissue culture (PTC), when using European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS) criteria. Methods From March 2017 to April 2018, 257 implants were submitted for sonication. PJI was defined according to the EBJIS criteria as well as according to the International Consensus Meeting criteria of 2018 (ICM 2018). Only cases with at least one corresponding tissue sample were included. Samples were cultured using traditional microbiological plating techniques. Sensitivity and specificity were determined using two-by-two contingency tables. McNemar’s test was used to compare proportions among paired samples. Subgroup analysis was performed dividing the cohort according to the site of PJI, previous antibiotic treatment, and time of manifestation. Prevalence of pathogens was determined for all patients as well as for specific subgroups. Results Among the 257 cases, 145 and 112 were defined as PJI and aseptic failure, respectively. When using the EBJIS criteria, the sensitivity of SFC and PTC was 69.0 and 62.8%, respectively (p = .04). Meanwhile, the specificity was 90.2 and 92.9%, respectively (p = .65). When adopting ICM 2018 criteria, the sensitivity of SFC and PTC was 87.5 and 84.4% (p = .63) respectively, while the specificity was 85.1 and 92.5% (p = .05), respectively. The most commonly identified pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (26% overall), while 31% of PJI were culture-negative and 9% polymicrobial. Conclusions SFC exhibited significantly greater sensitivity versus PTC when using the EBJIS criteria. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of PJI remains a difficult challenge and different diagnostic tools are necessary to optimize the outcome.

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Periprosthetic joint infections of the shoulder: A 10-year retrospective analysis outlining the heterogeneity among these patients

Shoulder & Elbow ◽

10.1177/17585732211019010 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 175857322110190

Author(s):

Taylor Paziuk ◽

Ryan M Cox ◽

Michael J Gutman ◽

Alexander J Rondon ◽

Thema Nicholson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Periprosthetic Joint Infection ◽

Shoulder Arthroplasty ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Sinus Tract ◽

Difficult Problem ◽

Consensus Meeting ◽

International Consensus ◽

Joint Infections ◽

Revision Shoulder Arthroplasty ◽

Culture Negative

Background Diagnosis and treatment of shoulder periprosthetic joint infection is a difficult problem. The purpose of this study was to utilize the 2018 International Consensus Meeting definition of shoulder periprosthetic joint infection to categorize revision shoulder arthroplasty cases and determine variations in clinical presentation by presumed infection classification. Methods Retrospective review of patients undergoing revision shoulder arthroplasty at a single institution. Likelihood of periprosthetic joint infection was determined based on International Consensus Meeting scoring. All patients classified as definitive or probable periprosthetic joint infection were classified as periprosthetic joint infection. All patients classified as possible or unlikely periprosthetic joint infection were classified as aseptic. The periprosthetic joint infection cohort was subsequently divided into culture-negative, non-virulent microorganism, and virulent microorganism cohorts based on culture results. Results Four hundred and sixty cases of revision shoulder arthroplasty were reviewed. Eighty (17.4%) patients were diagnosed as definite or probable periprosthetic joint infection, of which 29 (36.3%), 39 (48.8%), and 12 (15.0%) were classified as virulent, non-virulent, or culture-negative periprosthetic joint infection, respectively. There were significant differences among periprosthetic joint infection subgroups with regard to preoperative C-reactive protein (p = 0.020), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.051), sinus tract presence (p = 0.008), and intraoperative purulence (p < 0.001). The total International Consensus Meeting criteria scores were also significantly different between the periprosthetic joint infection cohorts (p < 0.001). Discussion While the diagnosis of shoulder periprosthetic joint infection has improved with the advent of International Consensus Meeting criteria, there remain distinct differences between periprosthetic joint infection classifications that warrant further investigation to determine the accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment.

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Role of asymptomatic bacteriuria on early periprosthetic joint infection after Hip Hemiarthroplasty. BARIFER randomized clinical trial.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-203528/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dolors Rodriguez-Pardo ◽

María Dolores Del Toro ◽

Laura Guio Carrión ◽

Rosa Escudero ◽

Marta Fernández-Sampedro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Asymptomatic Bacteriuria ◽

Open Label ◽

Hip Hemiarthroplasty ◽

Joint Infections ◽

Fosfomycin Trometamol

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate preoperative asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) treatment on the reduction of early-periprosthetic joint infections (early-PJIs) after hip hemiarthroplasty (HHA) for fracture.Methods: Open-label, multicentre RCT comparing 3gr of fosfomycin-trometamol with non-treatment. A parallel follow-up cohort without ASB was established. Primary outcome: early-PJI within 3 months after HHA. Results: 594 patients enrolled (mean age 84.3years); 152(25%) with ASB (77 treated with fosfomycin and 75 controls) and 442(75%) without. ASB was not a predictor of early-PJI (OR:1.06[95%CI:0.33-3.38], p=0,9228) and its treatment did not modify early-PJI incidence (OR:1.03[95%CI:0.15-7.10], p=0.9787). Conclusions: Neither preoperative ASB nor its treatment were risk factors of early-PJI after HHA. Trial Registration: Eudra CT 2016-001108-47

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Comparative study of intracranial access in thrombectomy using next generation 0.088 inch guide catheter technology

Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery ◽

10.1136/neurintsurg-2021-017341 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. neurintsurg-2021-017341

Author(s):

Devin V Bageac ◽

Blake S Gershon ◽

Jan Vargas ◽

Maxim Mokin ◽

Zeguang Ren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Outcome ◽

Primary Outcome Measure ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Anterior Circulation ◽

Guide Catheter ◽

Catheter Failure ◽

Catheter Technology ◽

Intracranial Vasculature

BackgroundMost conventional 0.088 inch guide catheters cannot safely navigate intracranial vasculature. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety of stroke thrombectomy using a novel 0.088 inch guide catheter designed for intracranial navigation.MethodsThis is a multicenter retrospective study, which included patients over 18 years old who underwent thrombectomy for anterior circulation large vessel occlusions. Technical outcomes for patients treated using the TracStar Large Distal Platform (TracStar LDP) or earlier generation TRX LDP were compared with a matched cohort of patients treated with other commonly used guide catheters. The primary outcome measure was device-related complications. Secondary outcome measures included guide catheter failure and time between groin puncture and clot engagement.ResultsEach study arm included 45 patients. The TracStar group was non-inferior to the control group with regard to device-related complications (6.8% vs 8.9%), and the average time to clot engagement was 8.89 min shorter (14.29 vs 23.18 min; p=0.0017). There were no statistically significant differences with regard to other technical outcomes, including time to recanalization (modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) ≥2B). The TracStar was successfully advanced into the intracranial internal carotid artery in 33 cases (73.33%); in three cases (6.67%), it was swapped for an alternate catheter. Successful reperfusion (mTICI 2B-3) was achieved in 95.56% of cases. Ninety-day follow-up data were available for 86.67% of patients, among whom 46.15% had an modified Rankin Score of 0–2%, and 10.26% were deceased.ConclusionsTracstar LDP is safe for use during stroke thrombectomy and was associated with decreased time to clot engagement. Intracranial access was regularly achieved.

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Routine colonoscopy may be needed for uncomplicated acute right colonic diverticulitis

BMC Gastroenterology ◽

10.1186/s12876-021-01672-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kil-yong Lee ◽

Jaeim Lee ◽

Youn Young Park ◽

Seong Taek Oh

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Colon Cancer ◽

Detection Rate ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Advanced Adenoma ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Colonic Diverticulitis ◽

Right Colon ◽

Colon Diverticulitis

Abstract Background Routine colonoscopy is recommended to determine the coexistence of colon cancer after medical treatment for colon diverticulitis. However, in the case of uncomplicated diverticulitis diagnosed by computed tomography, the clinical relevance of routine follow-up colonoscopy has recently been debated. Yet, the role of follow-up colonoscopy for right colon diverticulitis, which tends to develop at a younger age than left colon diverticulitis, has not been specifically evaluated. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the incidence of right colon cancer or colonic adenomatous polyps, detected by routine colonoscopy, after conservative management of acute uncomplicated right colon diverticulitis. Methods Patients with uncomplicated right colon diverticulitis (modified Hinchey stage Ia) diagnosed by computed tomography imaging, between 2011 and 2017, and who underwent follow-up colonoscopy surveillance after treatment were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of colon cancer, with the detection rate of adenoma being the secondary outcome. Information for analysis was retrieved retrospectively from patients’ medical records. Results The study group included 330 consecutive patients, with a mean age of 41.9 years, and 51.9% being men. For the primary outcome, the rate of colon cancer on follow-up colonoscopy was 0.3% (1/330 cases). The rate of adenoma detection was 20.9% (69/330 cases) and advanced adenoma (> 10 mm in diameter; or exhibiting a > 25% villous component or severe dysplasia), including colon cancer, was observed in 9 patients (2.7%). Conclusions In patients with acute uncomplicated right colonic diverticulitis, routine colonoscopy after conservative treatment may be necessary because although the colon cancer detection rate is low, it is possible to detect advanced colon adenoma.

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Outcomes of single- and two-stage revision total knee arthroplasty for chronic periprosthetic joint infection

The Bone & Joint Journal ◽

10.1302/0301-620x.103b8.bjj-2021-0224.r1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 103-B (8) ◽

pp. 1373-1379

Author(s):

Hosam E. Matar ◽

Benjamin V. Bloch ◽

Susan E. Snape ◽

Peter J. James

Keyword(s):

Total Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Recurrent Infection ◽

Primary Outcome Measure ◽

Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Single Stage ◽

Two Stage ◽

Joint Infections ◽

Total Knee

Aims Single-stage revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) is gaining popularity in treating chronic periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). We have introduced this approach to our clinical practice and sought to evaluate rates of reinfection and re-revision, along with predictors of failure of both single- and two-stage rTKA for chronic PJI. Methods A retrospective comparative cohort study of all rTKAs for chronic PJI between 1 April 2003 and 31 December 2018 was undertaken using prospective databases. Patients with acute infections were excluded; rTKAs were classified as single-stage, stage 1, or stage 2 of two-stage revision. The primary outcome measure was failure to eradicate or recurrent infection. Variables evaluated for failure by regression analysis included age, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, infecting organisms, and the presence of a sinus. Patient survivorship was also compared between the groups. Results A total of 292 consecutive first-time rTKAs for chronic PJI were included: 82 single-stage (28.1%); and 210 two-stage (71.9%) revisions. The mean age was 71 years (27 to 90), with 165 females (57.4%), and a mean BMI of 30.9 kg/m2 (20 to 53). Significantly more patients with a known infecting organism were in the single-stage group (93.9% vs 80.47%; p = 0.004). The infecting organism was identified preoperatively in 246 cases (84.2%). At a mean follow-up of 6.3 years (2.0 to 17.6), the failure rate was 6.1% in the single-stage, and 12% in the two-stage groups. All failures occurred within four years of treatment. The presence of a sinus was an independent risk factor for failure (odds ratio (OR) 4.97; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.593 to 15.505; p = 0.006), as well as age > 80 years (OR 5.962; 95% CI 1.156 to 30.73; p = 0.033). The ten-year patient survivorship rate was 72% in the single-stage group compared with 70.5% in the two-stage group. This difference was not significant (p = 0.517). Conclusion Single-stage rTKA is an effective strategy with a high success rate comparable to two-stage approach in appropriately selected patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(8):1373–1379.

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P–328 Dienogest significantly decreases the size of the cyst and alters Anti-Müllerian Hormone concentration in patients with endometrioma

Human Reproduction ◽

10.1093/humrep/deab130.327 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

E Karataş ◽

B E Temiz ◽

S Mumusoglu ◽

H Yarali ◽

G Bozdag

Keyword(s):

Primary Outcome ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Significant Drop ◽

Mean Size ◽

The Mean ◽

Respective Figure

Abstract Study question Does utilization of dienogest make any impact on the size of cyst and Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) concentration in patients with endometrioma throughout 12-months? Summary answer Although dienogest makes a gradual reduction in the size of endometrioma cyst throughout 12-months, a significant drop in AMH serum concentration was also noticed. What is known already According to recent studies, pre-operative serum AMH levels might be illusively increased with parallel to the size of endometrioma which will be a misleading factor while deciding to operate the patient via cystectomy. Although dienogest is one of the medical options that might be commenced in patients with endometrioma cyst, there is limited data about its effect on the size of the endometrioma and hence serum AMH concentration throughout 12 months of follow up. Study design, size, duration The current observational cohort study was conducted among patients with endometrioma those treated with dienogest from January 2017 to January 2020. The primary outcome was alteration in diameter of endometrioma cyst at 6th and 12th months of treatment. Secondary outcome was alteration in serum AMH concentration in the same period. Of 104 patients treated with dienogest, 44 patients were excluded due to being treated with any type of surgical intervention during follow up period. Participants/materials, setting, methods A total of 60 patients were recruited for the final analysis. Of them, primary symptom was dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain and menstrual irregularity in 16 (26.7%), 25 (41.7%) and 8 (13.3%) patients, respectively. Eighteen patients (30%) were asymptomatic. As 21 patients had bi-lateral endometrioma, size of the leading cyst was considered to be analyzed for the primary outcome measure. Paired-t test was used for comparison of numerical values and p ≤ 0.05 was taken as statistical significance. Main results and the role of chance The mean age was 31.5±8.0 years. In the time point when dienogest was started, the mean size of the endometrioma was 46.3±17.4 mm. The mean serum AMH concentration was 3.6±2.4 ng/ml. After 6 months of treatment, the mean size of the endometrioma decreased to 38.6±14.0 mm which corresponds to a mean difference of 7.8 mm (95% CI: 3.0 to 12.6; p: 0.003). The respective figure for AMH was 3.3±2.7 ng/ml which corresponds to a mean difference of 0.3 ng/ml (95% CI: –0.2 to 0.8; p: 0.23) at 6 months. After 12 months of treatment, the mean size of the endometrioma was 37.5±15.7 mm which corresponds to a mean difference of 8.9 mm (95% CI: 2.9 to 14.9; p: 0.005) at the end of 12 months. The respective figure for AMH was 2.7±1.9 ng/ml which corresponds to a mean difference of 0.9 ng/ml (95% CI: 0.1 to 1.7; p: 0.045) at the end of 12 months. The mean diameter of endometrioma and AMH concentration did not differ throughout the time period between 6th and 12th months of the treatment. Limitations, reasons for caution Although herein we present the largest data that depicts the alteration of endometrioma cyst and AMH concentration with the application of dienogest, the lack of control group is a limitation that avoids to perform any comparison. Wider implications of the findings: A shrinkage after commencement of treatment suggest that dienogest might present improvement in patients with endometrioma with respect to radiological findings, but further studies are required whether a decline in AMH concentration after 12 months refers to a genuine decrease in ovarian reserve or resolution of misleading high pre-treatment levels. Trial registration number not available

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Is Gram staining still useful in prosthetic joint infections?

Journal of Bone and Joint Infection ◽

10.7150/jbji.31312 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 56-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marjan Wouthuyzen-Bakker ◽

Noam Shohat ◽

Marine Sebillotte ◽

Cédric Arvieux ◽

Javad Parvizi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Revision Surgery ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Individual Case ◽

Gram Stain ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

Joint Infections ◽

Gram Staining ◽

Causative Microorganism ◽

Prosthetic Joint ◽

Prosthetic Joint Infections

Abstract. Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is an independent risk factor for DAIR failure in patients with a late acute prosthetic joint infection (PJI). Therefore, identifying the causative microorganism in an acute setting may help to decide if revision surgery should be chosen as a first surgical approach in patients with additional risk factors for DAIR failure. The aim of our study was to determine the sensitivity of Gram staining in late acute S. aureus PJI.Material and methods: We retrospectively evaluated all consecutive patients between 2005-2015 who were diagnosed with late acute PJI due to S. aureus. Late acute PJI was defined as the development of acute symptoms and signs of PJI, at least three months after the index surgery. Symptoms existing for more than three weeks were excluded from the analysis. Gram staining was evaluated solely for synovial fluid.Results: A total of 52 cases were included in the analysis. Gram staining was positive with Gram positive cocci in clusters in 31 cases (59.6%). Patients with a C-reactive protein (CRP) > 150 mg/L at clinical presentation had a significantly higher rate of a positive Gram stain (30/39, 77%) compared to patients with a CRP ≤ 150 mg/L (4/10, 40%) (p=0.02). A positive Gram stain was not related to a higher failure rate (60.6% versus 57.9%, p 0.85).Conclusion: Gram staining may be a useful diagnostic tool in late acute PJI to identify S. aureus PJI. Whether a positive Gram stain should lead to revision surgery instead of DAIR should be determined per individual case.

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