Fu T S, Ueng S W
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 222, Mai-Chin Road, Keelung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chang Gung Med J. 2001 Mar;24(3):202-7.
Salmonella infection of a hip prosthesis has rarely been reported, and only a few cases have been documented. It is painful, disabling, costly, and may be associated with life-threatening sepsis even in a healthy individual. Removal of the implant is often required to eradicate the infection. Several early studies reported procedures to control the salmonella infection, but none described reconstruction of the destroyed hip joint. We present a case of salmonella sepsis 4 years after a total hip arthroplasty (THA). After prosthesis removal, radical debridement of the infected tissues, and administration of Imipenum (500 mg, 4 times daily), the systemic sepsis and hip infection were ameliorated. Four months later, a 2-stage revision THA was done for reconstruction of the hip joint. The clinical results 51 months following the THA procedure were satisfactory without an infectious reaction.