Pradier M, et al. - With an intent to describe the use of oral cyclines (i.e., doxycycline and minocycline) as suppressive antibiotic therapy (SAT) in patients with periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs), researchers undertook this study. As per observations, oral cyclines showed acceptable tolerability and effectiveness as SAT in patients treated for PJI and appeared to be a reasonable option in this setting.

Methods

• Researchers reviewed medical charts of all patients with surgical revisions for PJIs who were given cycline-based SAT because of a high failure of various origins.
• They also analyzed the data regarding tolerability and effectiveness of cycline-based SAT.

Results

• Data reported that from January 2006 to January 2014, 78 patients of mean age 64 ± 17 years received cycline-base SAT.
• It was also demonstrated that PJIs involved the knee in 37 patients (47%), the hip in 35 (45%), the elbow in 4 (5%), and the shoulder in 2 (3%) and were qualified as early in 31 patients (39.7%). 
• The most common pathogens were Staphylococcus spp., accounted for 72.1% of the total number of bacterial strains identified.
• In addition, researchers found that all included patients had surgery which consisted in debridement and implant retention in 59 of them (75.6%).
• They also noted that doxycycline and minocycline were prescribed as SAT in 72 (92%) and 6 (8%) patients, respectively.
• In 14 patients (18%), adverse events were reported, leading to SAT discontinuation in 6 of them (8%).
• Findings also revealed that following a mean follow-up of 1020 ± 597 days, a total of 22 (28.2%) patients had failed including 3 cases (3.8%) with documented acquisition of tetracycline resistance in initial pathogen(s).