---
title: Two Versus Four Weeks of Antibiotic Treatment in Native Joint Arthritis
nct_id: NCT03615781
overall_status: COMPLETED
phase: NA
sponsor: University Hospital, Geneva
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Arthritis, Septic
countries: Switzerland
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT03615781.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03615781"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2018-08-06
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T07:16:34.985Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Two Versus Four Weeks of Antibiotic Treatment in Native Joint Arthritis

**NCT ID:** [NCT03615781](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03615781)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** COMPLETED
- **Phase:** NA
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 85
- **Lead Sponsor:** University Hospital, Geneva
- **Conditions:** Arthritis, Septic
- **Start Date:** 2015-06-01
- **Completion Date:** 2018-05-18
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2018-08-06

## Brief Summary

The optimal duration of systemic antibiotic administration for native joint septic arthritis is unknown. The investigators perform a randomized study allowing up to 3 surgical lavages and allocating patients into a two-week's and a four week's randomization arm

## Detailed Description

The optimal duration of systemic antibiotic administration for native joint septic arthritis is unknown. The investigators perform a randomized study allocating patients into a two-week's and a four week's randomization arm.

The adult patients are hospitalized for septic arthritis. A computer program randomizes 1:1 between a two week's and a four week's arm of targeted antibiotic treatment of which at least the first week is intravenously. The randomization may occur until Day 5 of admission. Up to three surgical interventions are allowed. The investigators allow the inclusion of all bacterial arthritis and all joints.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Maximum age:** 120 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** No

```
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age \>17 years
2. Microbiologically-confirmed septic arthritis
3. At least one surgical drainage/lavage

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Presence of osteosynthesis material in the vicinity of the articulation
2. Presence of a concomitant infection needing more than 2 week's of antibiotic therapy
3. More than 3 surgical drainages
4. Life expectancy less than 6 months
5. Chronic osteomyelitis in vicinity of the arthritis
```

## Arms

- **Two week's arm - surgery** (EXPERIMENTAL) — The investigators perform a surgical drainage and removal of the infected orthopedic implant.
- **Four week's arm - surgery** (ACTIVE_COMPARATOR) — The investigators surgically remove the infected implant.
- **Two week's arm - drugs** (EXPERIMENTAL) — The investigators perform a surgical drainage and removal of the infected orthopedic implant. They start an empirical antibiotic treatment based on patient's history and co-morbidities, such as vancomycin or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. The adapt later on the targeted antibiotic therapy according to the causative pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility testing.
- **Four week's arm - drugs** (ACTIVE_COMPARATOR) — The investigators surgically remove the infected implant and all soft tissue infection. Instead of a total of 2 week's of antibiotic therapy, they administer a total of 4 weeks of systemic antibiotic therapy targeted to the pathogen(s).

## Interventions

- **Two week's arm - surgery** (PROCEDURE) — The investigators perform a surgical drainage of the infection along with the complete removal of the infected orthopedic implant.
- **Four week's arm - surgery** (PROCEDURE) — The investigators perform a surgical drainage of the infection along with the complete removal of the infected orthopedic implant.
- **Two week's arm - drugs** (DRUG) — After the surgical implant removal, the investigators prescribe a total of 2 weeks of systemic targeted antibiotic therapy against the causative pathogen(s), of which one week is recommended to be intravenously.
- **Four week's arm - drugs** (DRUG) — After the surgical implant removal, the investigators prescribe a total of 4 weeks of systemic targeted antibiotic therapy against the causative pathogen(s), of which one week is recommended to be intravenously.

## Primary Outcomes

- **Clinical Remission of systemic infection** _(time frame: 6 months)_ — Measurement of fever.
- **Sequels** _(time frame: 6 months)_ — Patient's remaining gait disorders.

* range of movement in adjacent joints of former infection
* questionnaire regarding persistant pain and handicaps (open wording)

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Wound redness** _(time frame: 6 months)_
- **Wound discharge** _(time frame: 6 months)_
- **Presence of pus** _(time frame: 6 months)_

## Locations (1)

- Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.maxAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.geneva university hospitals|geneva||switzerland` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT03615781.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03615781*  
*This page is a raw mirror with no AI summary, no editorial enrichment, and no Parkinson's-specific filtering.*