How I do it…. How infection doctors approach the PJI MDT

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Microbiology

Background:

• Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) management demands a collaborative approach.
• Individual medical disciplines often have differing perspectives on PJI treatment.
• Optimal PJI care requires integrating expertise from multiple specialties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the thought process during multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussions for PJI.
• To emphasize the collaborative decision-making in optimizing PJI treatment strategies.
• To highlight the role of infection specialists within MDTs for PJI.

Main Methods:

• This opinion piece describes the considerations during MDT meetings for PJI.
• It focuses on the integration of microbiological data with surgical planning.
• The authors detail their approach to patient-centered PJI management.

Main Results:

• MDT discussions facilitate a comprehensive appraisal of PJI management options.
• Infection specialists contribute crucial insights into antimicrobial strategies influenced by microbiology.
• This collaborative approach leads to optimized, individualized treatment plans for PJI patients.

Conclusions:

• Effective PJI management relies on multidisciplinary collaboration.
• Integrating infection and surgical expertise ensures a rational and patient-centered approach.
• The MDT process is essential for determining the best treatment strategy for prosthetic joint infections.