Rifampicin Combination Therapy Versus Monotherapy for Staphylococcal Prosthetic Joint Infection

Exclusion Criteria1

• (i) a contra-indication for rifampicin (e.g. a resistant strain or proven allergic reaction or difficult drug-drug-interactions) (ii) complicated S. aureus bacteremia or concurrent endocarditis requiring long-term iv antibiotic treatment > 2 weeks (iii) An infection for which there are no suitable antibiotic choices to permit Randomization between the two arms of the trial (for instance, where organisms are only sensitive to intravenous antibiotics) (iv) treatment failure before the start of oral therapy, (v) an unsatisfactory response to initial treatment leading to continuation of intravenous therapy beyond day 21, (vi) patients with an expected life expectancy <12 months, (vii) patients with a tumor prosthesis (viii) patients receiving chemotherapy for active malignancy in the next 12 months (ix) patients who are scheduled in advance for chronic suppressive antibiotic therapy for >12 months, (x) The patient is unlikely to comply with trial requirements following Randomization in the opinion of the investigator (xi) Pregnancy (xii) Patients who are not able to read or communicate in Dutch or English will be excluded from participating in this study