Orthopedics Today reports on the findings of a study presented by Andy O. Miller, MD, infectious disease specialist at HSS, at the Musculoskeletal Infection Society Annual Open Scientific Meeting, which evaluated rifampin therapy in combination with other medications to treat staphylococcal prosthetic joint infection.

The retrospective study evaluated 75 patients in the HSS prosthetic joint infection (PJI) database from 2008-2016 who received rifampin and had their implants retained. Dr. Miller and colleagues compared results among the rifampin-tolerant (RT) and rifampin-intolerant (RI) subgroups to assess the safety and tolerability of the drug. Researchers found that 23 percent were RI.

Dr. Miller summarized the findings, noting, “Few contraindications to starting rifampin precluded its use. It is complicated to figure out what you are going to do with the other medicines. Discontinuation due to tolerance or allergy or toxicity happened a lot.” Dr. Miller concluded, “Research into the anti-staph[ylococcal] efficacy and safety of some of these other rifamycins on the market or not yet on the market that have fewer drug interactions and less drug toxicity is certainly warranted.”

Read the full article at Healio.com.