Single-center retrospective study of 12-year dynamics of the spectrum of leading pathogens of orthopedic infection (2011-2022)

Introduction. The number of surgical interventions on the musculoskeletal system increases every year. Simultaneously with the increasing availability of orthopedic care, the number of patients with orthopedic infection is increasing. Etiological agents in the development of orthopedic infection can be representatives of various taxonomic groups. Staphylococcus aureus and various types of coagulase-negative staphylococci (СоNS), including S. epidermidis and S. lugdunensis, together are pathogens in 70% of cases Aim of the study. To analyze the dynamics of the spectrum of leading pathogens isolated from patients of the department of purulent osteology for the period from 2011 to 2022. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the spectrum of microorganisms isolated from patients treated in the department of purulent surgery from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2022 was performed. The leading pathogens included microorganisms whose share in the spectrum exceeded 3.5%. Of the isolated pathogens, 48.8% were the only etiological agents, 51.2% determined the presence of microbial associations. Results. Over a 12-year period, 10,327 strains of various bacterial species were identified. The leading microorganisms isolated from patients with orthopedic infection were Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Propionibacterium spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Corynebacterium spp., Streptococcus spp., Klebsiella spp. and Acinetobacter spp. Several trends were revealed in the dynamics of isolated pathogens during the analyzed period: a decrease in the proportion of S. aureus, Enterococcus spp., P. aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp. and an increase in CoNS and Corynebacterium spp. Conclusion. The study showed that for 12 years gram-positive bacteria, mainly belonging to the genus Staphylococcus, were included in the spectrum of the main pathogens of orthopedic infection in patients with purulent surgery of our center. At the same time, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of S. aureus strains and an increase in the frequency of isolation of various types of cons. There was also a significant decrease in the number of non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria