Unnecessary Routine Use of Mycobacterial Cultures in Patients With Periprosthetic Joint Infections

Marjorie Golden; Anne Spichler Moffarah; Christopher Kerantzas; Lee Rubin; Jane O'Bryan

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofac132

Unnecessary Routine Use of Mycobacterial Cultures in Patients With Periprosthetic Joint Infections

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 17;9(5):ofac132. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac132. eCollection 2022 May.

Authors

Marjorie Golden¹, Anne Spichler Moffarah¹, Christopher Kerantzas², Lee Rubin³, Jane O'Bryan^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
² Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
³ Section of Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Center for Musculoskeletal Care, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
⁵ Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, North Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Abstract

Accurate diagnosis ensures appropriate therapy of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Since mycobacterial PJI is rare, routine testing is inappropriate. We reviewed hip and knee PJI at our institution over 28 months. Mycobacterial cultures were routinely sent with rare positivity. Mycobacterial cultures should be sent only when there is clinical suspicion.

Keywords: mycobacterial cultures; prosthetic joint infection.