- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Chapter 79 Immunosenescence and infectious diseases
- Chapter 80 Epidemiology of infection in elderly populations in various settings
- Chapter 81 Pneumonia and respiratory tract infections
- Chapter 82 Tuberculosis in old age
- Chapter 83 Bone and periprosthetic joint infections in older adults
- Chapter 84 Infective endocarditis
- Chapter 85 Ageing with HIV
- Chapter 86 Healthcare-associated infections and emergence of antibiotic resistance
- Chapter 87 Healthcare-associated infections and infection control
- Chapter 88 Vaccines against viral infections
- Chapter 89 Integration of vaccination of older adults in a life course programme
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing
(p. 637) Bone and periprosthetic joint infections in older adults
- Chapter:
- (p. 637) Bone and periprosthetic joint infections in older adults
- Author(s):
Werner Zimmerli
and Parham Sendi
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0083
Most bone and joint infections are more prevalent in older adults, mainly because of their decreasing host defence and their increasing comorbidity. The main challenge is rapid diagnosis of such infections, because they often manifest with only subtle signs and symptoms in older adults. In this population, the prevalence of vertebral osteomyelitis, diabetic foot osteomyelitis, pressure ulcer osteomyelitis, and periprosthetic joint infections is increasing. For all these infections, rapid diagnostic work-up is needed, because prognosis, including the functional outcome, depends on early and adequate treatment. However, in older adults, quality of life is also crucial. Therefore, in frail individuals, a palliative procedure (e.g. lifelong suppressive therapy) should be sometimes preferred to curative treatment requiring burdening surgical interventions.
Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
- Section 1 Ageing population and policy
- Section 2 Key concepts in care of older adults
- Section 3 Principles and organization of care
- Section 4 Age-related biological changes, altered physiology, and vulnerability to diseases and chronic conditions
- Section 5 Geriatric syndromes in clinical practice
- Section 6 Nutrition and metabolism
- Section 7 Mobility disorders: prevention, impact, and compensation
- Section 8 Infections in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Chapter 79 Immunosenescence and infectious diseases
- Chapter 80 Epidemiology of infection in elderly populations in various settings
- Chapter 81 Pneumonia and respiratory tract infections
- Chapter 82 Tuberculosis in old age
- Chapter 83 Bone and periprosthetic joint infections in older adults
- Chapter 84 Infective endocarditis
- Chapter 85 Ageing with HIV
- Chapter 86 Healthcare-associated infections and emergence of antibiotic resistance
- Chapter 87 Healthcare-associated infections and infection control
- Chapter 88 Vaccines against viral infections
- Chapter 89 Integration of vaccination of older adults in a life course programme
- Section 9 Cancer: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 10 Vascular diseases: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 11 Neurological disorders: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 12 Cognitive decline and dementia in older adults: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 13 Mental health of older adults
- Section 14 Management of common medical conditions: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management
- Section 15 Palliative medicine and end-of-life care
- Section 16 Healthy ageing