Favorable clinical and microbiological outcomes of a war-associated prosthetic joint infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae treated with combined phage-colistin therapy.

Prosthetic joint infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria represent a major therapeutic challenge, particularly when conventional antibiotics fail. We report a case of prosthetic elbow infection due to multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae following a war-related injury. After unsuccessful antibiotic therapies, the patient was treated with personalized phage therapy in combination with colistin. This combined approach led to a marked clinical improvement and microbiological clearance, with no evidence of persistent infection at the last available follow-up. This case highlights the potential of personalized phage therapy as a promising life- and limb-saving adjunctive strategy for complex prosthetic joint infections caused by highly drug-resistant pathogens when standard therapeutic options are limited.