Overwhelming septic infection with a multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) after total knee replacement

A Patient with Acute Necrotizing Fasciitis after a Total Knee Replacement: A Case Report

Necrotizing fasciitis is a relatively rare and serious fatal soft-tissue infection that is characterized by a rapidly spreading bacterial infection located in the subcutaneous tissues. We report a 59-year-old man who was diagnosed with acute necrotizing fasciitis, following a primary total knee replacement. He received primary total knee replacement that was uneventful and smooth intraoperatively. An immediate high fever was reported in the next few days, with several complications, confirming a diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis. The most effective treatment for this disease is a rapid primary diagnosis and surgical debridement. Gold standard treatment includes intravenous therapy, such as antibiotics, surgical debridement, and intensive care. As a result of possible GI complications that triggered necrotizing fasciitis, the patient underwent flap reconstruction. This report’s aim is to review the comprehensive treatment, management, and experience of necrotizing fasciitis, highlighting the roles with a multidisciplinary care team for improving the condition of this patient.

Clinical Impact of Staphylococcus aureus Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

The pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen isolated in skin-and-soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) in the United States. Most S. aureus SSTIs are caused by the epidemic clone USA300 in the USA. These infections can be serious; in 2019, SSTIs with S. aureus were associated with an all-cause, age-standardized mortality rate of 0.5 globally. Clinical presentations of S. aureus SSTIs vary from superficial infections with local symptoms to monomicrobial necrotizing fasciitis, which can cause systemic manifestations and may lead to serious complications or death. In order to cause skin infections, S. aureus employs a host of virulence factors including cytolytic proteins, superantigenic factors, cell wall-anchored proteins, and molecules used for immune evasion. The immune response to S. aureus SSTIs involves initial responders such as keratinocytes and neutrophils, which are supported by dendritic cells and T-lymphocytes later during infection. Treatment for S. aureus SSTIs is usually oral therapy, with parenteral therapy reserved for severe presentations; it ranges from cephalosporins and penicillin agents such as oxacillin, which is generally used for methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), to vancomycin for methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Treatment challenges include adverse effects, risk for Clostridioides difficile infection, and potential for antibiotic resistance.

Sepsis and Total Joint Arthroplasty

The number of annual total joint arthroplasties (TJA) is increasing. Periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) occur when there is infection involving the prosthesis and surrounding tissue, which has the potential to develop into sepsis if left untreated. Sepsis in patients who have undergone TJA is life threatening and requires urgent treatment. If sepsis is due to PJI, the focus should be on early intravenous antibiotics with aspiration as soon as possible to diagnose the infection. Patients who develop sepsis after surgery for PJI are particularly at high risk for mortality and need to be treated in the intensive care unit.

The need for guidelines in asplenic patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty: a case report

There are currently no guidelines for splenectomy patient undergoing total joint arthroplasty. We present a case history of a 63-year-old man with a history of splenectomy that underwent a total knee arthroplasty with standard intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis. Two weeks postoperatively, he developed a prosthetic joint infection and followed the standard antimicrobial management with intravenous and oral antibiotics prior to having revision surgery. We propose that there are guidelines to properly manage these patients in the pre- and perioperative setting following an orthopaedic procedure.

Necrotizing fasciitis of the extremities: 34 cases at a single centre over the past 5 years

BACKGROUND

Worldwide the incidence of necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is on the rise. This rapidly progressive infection is a true infectious disease emergency due to its high morbidity and mortality. The mainstay of therapy is prompt surgical debridement, intravenous antibiotics, and supportive care with fluid and electrolyte management. Because of its high mortality rate, patients are increasingly referred to burn centres for specialized wound and critical care issues.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed of 34 consecutive patients over a 5-year period with NF of the upper and/or lower extremities that required surgical debridement and reconstruction.

RESULTS

The overall survival rate was 96%, with an average length of hospital stay of 64.0 ± 5.5 days. The time until the first operation was 1.3 days. The average age of the patients was 56.7 ± 10.6 years. The patients averaged 1.6 relevant comorbidities. One patient who had five comorbidities died. The affected total body surface (TBS) averaged 8.2 ± 2.1%.

CONCLUSION

Early recognition and treatment remain the most important factors influencing survival in NF. Yet, early diagnosis of the condition is difficult due to its similarities with other soft-tissue disorders. Repeated surgical debridement and incisional drainage continues to be essential for the survival. However, these infections continue to be a source of high morbidity, mortality and significant healthcare resource consumption. These challenging patients are best served with prompt diagnosis, immediate radical surgical debridement and aggressive critical care management. Referral to a major burn centre may help to provide optimal surgical intervention, wound care and critical care management.

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a case report

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon but potentially fatal infection characterized by rapidly progressive, widespread necrosis of the superficial fascia. The authors report a case of cervical necrotizing fasciitis of odontogenic origin in a male with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. An early diagnosis was based on clinical examination, confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan, which showed multiple collections of air in the left submandibular, submental and cervical region. Broad spectrum antibiotic therapy was started quickly followed by surgical drainage and debridement. Pus culture was positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Four days after admission, mediastinitis was revealed by CT and drainage was conducted through a transcervical incision. The patient was treated successfully with antimicrobial therapy, repeated surgical debridement and supportive care.

Severe necrotizing fasciitis in a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a rarely reported cause of necrotizing fasciitis. We report an unusually severe case of MRSA necrotizing fasciitis in a previously undiagnosed AIDS patient. Molecular analysis revealed that the strain had the USA300/spa1 genotype, now an abundant cause of community-acquired MRSA infection.

Necrotizing fasciitis caused by community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Los Angeles

BACKGROUND

Necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening infection requiring urgent surgical and medical therapy. Staphylococcus aureus has been a very uncommon cause of necrotizing fasciitis, but we have recently noted an alarming number of these infections caused by community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

METHODS

We reviewed the records of 843 patients whose wound cultures grew MRSA at our center from January 15, 2003, to April 15, 2004. Among this cohort, 14 were identified as patients presenting from the community with clinical and intraoperative findings of necrotizing fasciitis, necrotizing myositis, or both.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 46 years (range, 28 to 68), and 71 percent were men. Coexisting conditions or risk factors included current or past injection-drug use (43 percent); previous MRSA infection, diabetes, and chronic hepatitis C (21 percent each); and cancer and human immunodeficiency virus infection or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (7 percent each). Four patients (29 percent) had no serious coexisting conditions or risk factors. All patients received combined medical and surgical therapy, and none died, but they had serious complications, including the need for reconstructive surgery and prolonged stay in the intensive care unit. Wound cultures were monomicrobial for MRSA in 86 percent, and 40 percent of patients (4 of 10) for whom blood cultures were obtained had positive results. All MRSA isolates were susceptible in vitro to clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and rifampin. All recovered isolates belonged to the same genotype (multilocus sequence type ST8, pulsed-field type USA300, and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IV [SCCmecIV]) and carried the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl), lukD, and lukE genes, but no other toxin genes were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Necrotizing fasciitis caused by community-associated MRSA is an emerging clinical entity. In areas in which community-associated MRSA infection is endemic, empirical treatment of suspected necrotizing fasciitis should include antibiotics predictably active against this pathogen.