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Human scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, leading to skin damage and subsequent mechanical irritation from scratching. This impaired skin integrity predisposes individuals to skin infections. While the association between scabies and skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes is well-documented, there is limited literature on the risk of surgical site infections in such cases. This case report aims to explore this risk by presenting a case of surgical site infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes following surgery for a complex elbow injury in a patient with scabies infestation. Scabies infestation leads to direct spread of bacteria and contributes to bacterial infection. Furthermore, complement inhibition and dysbiosis induced by the scabies may facilitate the occurrence of these bacterial infections. Skin infections are frequently encountered in scabies infestations. Preferred incision should be evaluated meticulously before surgery. Further studies are needed to reach a definitive conclusion on this subject. • Human scabies, is a contagious skin condition prevalent in regions with low socioeconomic status and crowded living conditions. • Infections associated with streptococci in implants can lead to significant mortality and morbidity. • Preferred incision should be evaluated meticulously before surgery regarding scabies tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of bridging vein transplantation to deal with the vessel shortage during free vascularized fibular grafting for reconstructing infected bone defects of the femur.Methods: Twelve patients (aged 15-58 years) with infected bone defects of the femur (between 6.0 and 18.0cm) were recruited in this study. Vacuum sealing drainage were applied after extensive debridement of the infected bone defects and irrigated with 0.9% sodium chloride solution for 1-2 weeks. After the drainage was clear and the focal infections were controlled, the free vascularized fibula was harvested for reconstructing the femoral bone defects. The vascularized fibula was grafted and fixated appropriately at the recipient site. The autogenous great saphenous vein was harvested, one end was anastomosed and bridged the vascular pedicles of the fibular grafts, and the other end anastomosed the artery and/or the vein in the recipient healthy site.Results: Mean length of vein transplantation with vascularized fibular graft was 10.2 cm (range 7-15cm). All patients had good radiological healing without recorded nonunion or malunion. No patient developed deep infection or implant failure. Primary bone healing was achieved in 10 patients; however, 2 grafted fibular formed pseudarthrosis with the recipient femoral and then healed after a secondary surgery. One patient suffered from graft stress fracture after bone healing and healed after external fixation. After the mean follow-up of 30 months (9-72 months), according to the Enneking scoring system, clinical outcomes were excellent in 7 patients, good in 4 and fair in one. The functional recovery rate of the lesion limb was 89.4%.Conclusions: Free vascularized fibular graft with vein transplantation bridged vascular pedicle can effectively repair the infected bone, improve blood supply to the bone defect site, and help control infection. It is a feasible and effective treatment for infected bone defects of the femur with poor soft tissue conditions, or blood supply vessel shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Del Pozo and Patel (DPP) algorithm permits to identify suitable candidates for debridement and implant retention (DR) in prosthetic joint infections (PJI), but does not include gram-negative bacilli (GNB) as a risk factor of worst outcome. We conducted a retrospective study to validate the DPP algorithm and propose a simplified algorithm including GNB PJI. From 2002 to 2009, 73 PJI underwent surgery; 55% were chosen according to PDD algorithm. Non-adherence increased the risk of treatment failure (HR = 4.2). Performing DR in the presence of GNB PJI and performing DR in a joint prosthesis implanted for >3 months without hematogenous infection were independent risk factors. Our simplified algorithm, based on these 2 criteria, showed comparable performance to the DPP algorithm but increased eligibility for DR by a 2.4 fold. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Blastomycosis commonly occurs following inhalation of Blastomyces dermatitidis conidia causing a pulmonary infection and can disseminate to extrapulmonary sites. Osseous involvement primarily results from hematogenous spread, but in rare cases, direct inoculation can occur. We describe a case of osseous blastomycosis without pulmonary or disseminated disease successfully treated with posaconazole. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Orthopedic biomaterial-associated infections remain a major clinical challenge, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most common pathogen. S. aureus biofilm formation enhances immune evasion and antibiotic resistance, resulting in a local, indolent infection that can persist long-term without symptoms before eventual hardware failure, bone non-union, or sepsis. Immune modulation is an emerging strategy to combat host immune evasion by S. aureus. However, most immune modulation strategies are focused on local immune responses at the site of infection, with little emphasis on understanding the infection-induced and orthopedic-related systemic immune responses of the host, and their role in local infection clearance and tissue regeneration. This study utilized a rat bone defect model to investigate how implant-associated infection affects the systemic immune response. Long-term systemic immune dysregulation was observed with a significant systemic decrease in T cells and a concomitant increase in immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) compared to non-infected controls. Further, the control group exhibited a regulated and coordinated systemic cytokine response, which was absent in the infection group. Multivariate analysis revealed high levels of MDSCs to be most correlated with the infection group, while high levels of T cells were most correlated with the control group. Locally, the infection group had attenuated macrophage infiltration and increased levels of MDSCs in the local soft tissue compared to non-infected controls. These data reveal the widespread impacts of an orthopedic infection on both the local and the systemic immune responses, uncovering promising targets for diagnostics and immunotherapies that could optimize treatment strategies and ultimately improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The combined 2005 meeting of the AO Switzerland and the Swiss AO Alumni Chapter took place in Liestal. Topics were the current standards in prevention and treatment of infections in orthopedic surgery and new developments in implant design and material (eg, surface modification) aiming to reduce implant-related infections. In addition, improved diagnostic methods for germ identification and current treatment algorithms were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]