Table 4.

Antibiotic treatment and microbiological findings

Variable	Total cohort (n = 39)
Infection type
Spinal tuberculosis	8 (20.5%)
Non-specific spinal infection	31 (79.5%)
Anti-tuberculosis treatment
Quadruple anti-tuberculosis therapy during hospitalization	8 (20.5%)
Post-discharge oral anti-tuberculosis therapy for 12–18 months	8 (20.5%)
Antibiotic treatment for non-specific spinal infection
Cefoperazone-sulbactam-based regimen	20/31 (64.5%)
Piperacillin-tazobactam-based regimen	4/31 (12.9%)
Carbapenem-based regimen	4/31 (12.9%)
Moxifloxacin-based regimen	2/31 (6.5%)
Amikacin-based regimen	1/31 (3.2%)
Vancomycin-containing regimen	14/31 (45.2%)
Linezolid-containing regimen	8/31 (25.8%)
Microbiological findings
Positive blood culture	2/39 (5.1%)
Positive tissue or pus culture	2/39 (5.1%)
Any positive culture	4/39 (10.3%)
Culture-negative cases	35/39 (89.7%)
Identified pathogens	Salmonella spp.; Escherichia coli; Streptococcus gordonii

Values are presented as n (%) or n/N (%). Percentages for antibiotic regimens for non-specific spinal infection were calculated using the 31 patients with non-specific infection as the denominator. Percentages for microbiological findings were calculated using the total cohort as the denominator. Some patients received combination therapy; therefore, antibiotic categories are not mutually exclusive