POvIV Trial Journal Club
We break down evidence-based medicine so you don't have to! This journal club will discuss the new POvIV trial that is hot in the medical literature right now.
The JAMA Surgery Network published the POvIV trial in May 2025. This post is a journal club breaking down the POvIV trial and what change it may bring to our clinical practice.
Background/Overview
Title: Oral vs Intravenous Antibiotics for Fracture-Related Infections
Citation: Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC). Oral vs Intravenous Antibiotics for Fracture-Related Infections: The POvIV Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Surg. Published online January 22, 2025.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment of FRI with 6 weeks of oral vs IV antibiotics
Background: Fracture-related infection (FRI) is a common and serious complication following fracture fixation surgery. Current FRI treatment regimens throughout North America and Europe require patients with infections to receive prolonged intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks or more following surgical debridement. Emerging literature supports successful use of lower-cost oral antibiotic therapy for the management of adult and pediatric infections for shorter duration of IV antibiotics and overall shorter duration of all antibiotics.
Primary Efficacy Measure: number of study injury-related surgical interventions within 1 year after discharge from the initial infection hospitalization