Use of Intra-Articular Clindamycin in the Treatment of Prosthetic Joint Infections With Bacteroides fragilis in a Patient with Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

Use of intra-articular antibiotics to treat prosthetic joint infections is becoming an increasingly viable option, especially in patients with a history of multidrug-resistant bacteria and multiple comorbidities where the risk of multiple surgeries is high. At this time, there does not exist a standard antibiotic regimen and or dosing to treat various infections. The risk of prolonged intravenous antibiotics and Clostridium difficile remains high in this group of patients, especially when one has to use clindamycin as a drug of choice. We present a 17-year-old African American female with Bacteroides fragilis infection of a total hip arthroplasty, which was treated with intra-articular clindamycin with success.