Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32736656›Full record

ReviewAntimicrobial resistance and infection control2020

Treating infections with ionizing radiation: a historical perspective and emerging techniques.

B van Dijk, J V C Lemans, R M Hoogendoorn, E Dadachova, J M H de Klerk, H C Vogely, H Weinans, M G E H Lam, B C H van der Wal

Open access · goldAbstract readHistorical ArticleReview
In one paragraph

Review in Antimicrobial resistance and infection control, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 29 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. The Effects of Radioimmunotherapy and Antibiotics on Biofilm-Associated Implant Infections in a Preclinical Rat Model.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Radiometal chelators for infection diagnostics.Frontiers in nuclear medicine · 2023
    Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

B van DijkDepartment of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. b.vandijk-8@umcutrecht.nl.
J V C LemansDepartment of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
R M HoogendoornDepartment of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
E DadachovaCollege of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
J M H de KlerkDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Meander Medical Center Amersfoort, Amersfoort, The Netherlands.
H C VogelyDepartment of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
H WeinansDepartment of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M G E H LamDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
B C H van der WalDepartment of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
University Medical Center Utrecht · NLMeander Medisch Centrum · NLUniversity of Saskatchewan · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWidespread use and misuse of antibiotics have led to a dramatic increase in the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, while the discovery and development of new antibiotics is declining. This has made certain implant-associated infections such as periprosthetic joint infections, where a biofilm is formed, very difficult to treat. Alternative treatment modalities are needed to treat these types of infections in the future. One candidate that has been used extensively in the past, is the use of ionizing radiation. This review aims to provide a historical overview and future perspective of radiation therapy in infectious diseases with a focus on orthopedic infections.

methodsA systematic search strategy was designed to select studies that used radiation as treatment for bacterial or fungal infections. A total of 216 potentially relevant full-text publications were independently reviewed, of which 182 focused on external radiation and 34 on internal radiation. Due to the large number of studies, several topics were chosen. The main advantages, disadvantages, limitations, and implications of radiation treatment for infections were discussed.

resultsIn the pre-antibiotic era, high mortality rates were seen in different infections such as pneumonia, gas gangrene and otitis media. In some cases, external radiation therapy decreased the mortality significantly but long-term follow-up of the patients was often not performed so long term radiation effects, as well as potential increased risk of malignancies could not be investigated. Internal radiation using alpha and beta emitting radionuclides show great promise in treating fungal and bacterial infections when combined with selective targeting through antibodies, thus minimizing possible collateral damage to healthy tissue.

conclusionThe novel prospects of radiation treatment strategies against planktonic and biofilm-related microbial infections seem feasible and are worth investigating further. However, potential risks involving radiation treatment must be considered in each individual patient.

Indexed as

Radiation, IonizingAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacteriaBacterial InfectionsBiofilmsHistory, 19th CenturyHistory, 20th CenturyHistory, 21st CenturyHumansRadiotherapyAnti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-inflammationBiofilmInfectionInflammationOrthopaedic infectionPeriprosthetic joint infectionRadiationRadioimmunotherapyRadiotherapyX-rays

Identifiers

PMID32736656
PMCPMC7393726
OpenAlexW3046460373

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.