Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Mar;33(3):703-710.
doi: 10.1007/s40520-019-01329-w. Epub 2019 Sep 7.

Osteoarticular infections: a specific program for older patients?

Ilker Uçkay  1   2 , Dominique Holy  3 , Michael Betz  4 , Regina Sauer  5 , Tanja Huber  6 , Jan Burkhard  7   3
Affiliations
Review

Osteoarticular infections: a specific program for older patients?

Ilker Uçkay et al. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Background: With the increasing number of elderly patients, arthroplasties, fractures and diabetic foot infections, the worldwide number of osteoarticular infections (OAI) among the elderly is concomitantly expected to rise.

Aims: We explore existing scientific knowledge about OAI in the frail elderly population.

Methods: We performed a literature search linking OAIs to geriatric patients and comparing elderly patients (> 65 years) with average adults (range 18-65 years).

Results: In this literature, financial aspects, comparison of diverse therapies on quality of life, reimbursement policies, or specific guidelines or nursing recommendations are missing. Age itself was not an independent factor related to particular pathogens, prevention of OAI, nursing care, and outcomes of OAI. However, geriatric patients were significantly more exposed to adverse events of therapy. They had more co-morbidities and more conservative surgery for OAI.

Conclusion: Available literature regarding OAI management among elderly patients is sparse. In recent evaluations, age itself does not seem an independent factor related to particular epidemiology, pathogens, prevention, nursing care, rehabilitation and therapeutic outcomes of OAI. Future clinical research will concern more conservative surgical indications, but certainly reduce inappropriate antibiotic use.

Keywords: Elderly; Epidemiology; Osteoarticular infections; Prevention; Therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Al-Mayahi M, Betz M, Muller DA et al (2013) Remission rate of implant-related infections following revision surgery after fractures. Int Orthop 37:2253–2258 - PubMed - PMC
    1. Uçkay I, Aragon-Sanchez J, Lew D et al (2015) Diabetic foot infections: what have we learned in the last 30 years? Int J Infect Dis 40:81–91 - PubMed
    1. Murillo O, Grau I, Lora-Tamayo J et al (2015) The changing epidemiology of bacteraemic osteoarticular infections in the early 21st century. Clin Microbiol Infect 21:254–262 - PubMed
    1. Post V, Wahl P, Uçkay I et al (2014) Phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus causing musculoskeletal infections. Int J Med Microbiol 304:565–576 - PubMed
    1. Tumminello A, Dominguez D, Lebowitz D et al (2017) Staphylococcus aureus versus streptococci in orthopaedic infections. Infect Dis (Lond) 49:716–718

Substances

LinkOut - more resources