Simultaneous meningitis, sepsis and prosthetic hip infection caused by group B Streptococcus

Excerpt

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are associated with significant morbidity, and they require early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Gram-positive cocci, particularly Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, cause approximately 65 % of all PJI cases [1]. However, some cases of PJI are caused by bacteria of genitourinary and/or gastrointestinal origin. Group B Streptococcus (GBS, Streptococcus agalactiae) is a leading cause of infections in newborns and pregnant women and can also affect the elderly as well as nonpregnant adults with underlying diseases [2]. The clinical manifestations of GBS infections can range from simple skin and soft tissue infections to fatal meningitis in newborns [3]. Several types of osteoarticular GBS infections have been reported, such as septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, and spondylodiscitis [4‐7]. GBS PJIs are mostly acute haematogenous infections that require prompt management for a satisfactory outcome [8]. The outcome of a streptococcal PJI is often thought to be better than that of an infection caused by other pathogens. However, this supposition was not confirmed in previous studies [8, 9]. Despite their high susceptibility towards antibiotics, streptococcal PJIs frequently fail to respond to treatment because of the severity of the infection, the patients’ advanced age, underlying diseases and relapses [8]. …