Oral Antimicrobial Options for Joint Infections: Guided Through Cumulative Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Data Report

Background/Objectives: Management of joint infections is evolving from using intravenous antimicrobials to oral therapies. Optimal treatment requires awareness of antimicrobial resistance patterns. This study aimed to produce a cumulative antimicrobial susceptibility testing report to help select oral antimicrobials in joint infections. Methods: An analysis encompassing the years 2020–2024 was performed using joint fluid data from LifeLabs British Columbia regional laboratories connected with 129 community patient service centres. Results: A total of 275 out of 3525 joint fluid specimens showed microorganism growth, with the most common being methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, and staphylococci other than Staphylococcus aureus. When these microorganism isolates were analyzed together, the tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim sensitivities each failed to show significant difference from each intravenous therapy’s (cefazolin, cloxacillin, or vancomycin) sensitivity (p > 0.05). Clindamycin showed significantly lower sensitivity than vancomycin, while erythromycin showed significantly lower sensitivity than each intravenous therapy (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings require further verifications with prospective clinical trials that examine the clinical efficacy of different therapies. Careful consideration of therapeutic choices by clinicians is warranted to maximize treatment success.