According to new research, Staphylococcus lugdunensis is underestimated as a cause of hospital-acquired bone and joint infection and should be treated aggressively, according to a Medscape report.
Here are six things to know:
1. The researchers presented the study at the Interscience Conference of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 2015.
2. They assessed 138 patients with bone and joint infections caused by S lugdunensis.
3. Eighty-two percent of infections were associated with orthopedic devices.
4. There were 66 infections of the prosthetic joint; 42 of the orthopedic joint; three of a vertebral orthopedic device; and two that occurred after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
5. Median age of the patients was 61 years and 88 percent of infections occurred more than one month after device implantation.
6. Most patients were treated with surgery alone, however outcomes were not significantly different between them and those treated with device removal or extended antibiotic treatment.
