Evidence Hub

Haemophilus parainfluenzae septic arthritis following orthopedic procedures in immunocompetent patients with diverse management: A case report of 2 rare cases

Ho MS, Lin CH, Chen SH, Ding YS, Chiang CH

Medicine, 2025

1 citation

Abstract

Rationale: H. parainfluenzae is an uncommon cause of musculoskeletal infection, particularly after orthopedic procedures.

Patient concerns: Two cases of H. parainfluenzae infection in immunocompetent patients following reverse shoulder arthroplasty and arthroscopic knee procedures.

Diagnoses: H. parainfluenzae was identified as the causative pathogen through synovial fluid culture. Case 1 was identified as periprosthetic joint infection of the shoulder, and Case 2 as septic arthritis of the knee.

Interventions: Case 1 was managed with needle aspiration and oral antibiotics. Case 2 underwent arthroscopic debridement and received antibiotic therapy.

Outcomes: Both patients recovered without recurrence of infection following appropriate treatment. In Case 2, the patient's C-reactive protein levels decreased from 18.3 mg/dL at presentation to 0.217 mg/dL by postoperative day 36, indicating resolution of inflammation and restoration of function.

Lessons: These cases highlight the potential of H. parainfluenzae infection in healthy individuals and underscore the importance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate management to ensure favorable outcomes.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free