Analysis Of The KLIC-score; An Outcome Predictor Tool For Prosthetic Joint Infections Treated With Debridement, Antibiotics And Implant Retention

• Main Authors: S. D. Duffy, N. Ahearn, E. S. Darley, A. J. Porteous, J. R. Murray, N. R. Howells
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2018-07-01
• Series: Journal of Bone and Joint Infection
• Online Access: https://jbji.copernicus.org/articles/3/150/2018/jbji-3-150-2018.pdf

<p class="p p-first" id="__p2"><strong>Background:</strong> Debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR) forms the primary treatment modality for early prosthetic joint infection (PJI). The KLIC score has been proposed as a risk stratification tool for use in predicting outcome of prosthetic knee infections. Our aim was to determine the accuracy of this scoring system at an independent tertiary PJI centre in a typical DAIR population.</p><p id="__p3"><strong>Methods:</strong> Between 2008 and 2015, patients with infected knee prostheses treated with DAIR were identified. The patient notes and blood tests were reviewed retrospectively and the 'KLIC-score' was calculated and correlated with outcome. The end point for early failure was defined as: 1) the need for unscheduled surgery, 2) infection-related death ≤12 months from debridement or 3) the need for suppressive antibiotic treatment.</p><p id="__p4"><strong>Results:</strong> 59 patients received DAIR procedures for knee PJI. Treatment was successful in 41 patients (69%) with early failure in 18 patients (31%). Patients deemed high-risk (KLIC-score ≥7) had notably higher failure rates (60%) than those scoring &lt;7 (28%). No relationship can be drawn between KLIC-scores of &lt;7 and failure rates.</p><p class="p p-last" id="__p5"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The KLIC-score applied retrospectively was able to predict patients with the highest risk of early failure but provides little information in patients with scores of &lt;7.</p>