Table 1.
Demographics, Comorbidities, Presenting Features, Management, and Outcomes of Pyogenic Vertebral Osteomyelitis Among 129 Adult Patients Admitted to a Teaching Hospital in Australia from 2006 to 2015, Divided According to Whether an Organism was Identified
| No Organism Identified (n = 28) | Organism Identified (n = 101) |
P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics and comorbidities | |||
| Male sex, No. (%) | 18 (64) | 70 (69) | NS |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 58 (17) | 62 (15) | NS |
| Diabetes, No. (%) | 7 (25) | 24 (24) | NS |
| Chronic renal disease, No. (%) | 0 (0) | 7 (7) | NS |
| Intravenous drug user, No. (%) | 4 (14) | 9 (9) | NS |
| Chronic liver disease, No. (%) | 0 (0) | 4 (4) | NS |
| Immunosuppression, No. (%) | 3 (11) | 2 (2) | .03 |
| Malignancy, No. (%) | 1 (4) | 4 (4) | NS |
| Clinical features at presentation, No. (%) | |||
| Fever | 8 (29) | 76 (75) | <.001 |
| Back pain | 27 (96) | 101 (100) | NS |
| Vertebral tenderness | 16 (57) | 41 (41) | NS |
| Limb weakness | 8 (29) | 36 (36) | NS |
| Urinary retention | 2 (7) | 11 (11) | NS |
| Investigations | |||
| Admission C-reactive protein, median (IQR), mg/dL | 54 (19–108) | 207 (120–272) | <.001 |
| Vertebral samples taken, No. (%) | 15 (54) | 42 (42) | NS |
| Blood cultures taken, No. (%) | 25 (89) | 99 (99) | NS |
| Treatment | |||
| Antibiotics commenced prior to admission, No. (%) | 2 (7) | 10 (10) | NS |
| Duration of IV antibiotics, median (IQR), d | 42 (39–47) | 43 (42–49) | NS |
| Duration of PO antibiotics, median (IQR), d | 42 (37–100) | 42 (35–84) | NS |
| Surgical intervention, No. (%) | 7 (25) | 40 (40) | NS |
| Outcomes | |||
| Hospital mortality, No. (%) | 1 (4) | 4 (4) | NS |
| 1-y mortality, No. (%) | 1 (4) | 10 (10) | NS |
| Length of index admission, median (IQR), d | 44 (25–50) | 43 (27–51) | NS |
| Attributable readmission within 2 y, No. (%) | 8 (28) | 15 (15) | .11 |
| C-reactive protein, median (IQR) at discharge, mg/dL | 12 (6–31) | 23 (9–53) | NS |
| Complete recovery at discharge, No. (%) | 4 (14) | 15 (15) | NS |
| Back pain at discharge, No. (%) | 22 (79) | 79 (78) | NS |
| Vertebral tenderness at discharge, No. (%) | 0 (0) | 5 (5) | NS |
| Limb weakness at discharge, No. (%) | 3 (11) | 26 (26) | NS |
| Incontinence at discharge, No. (%) | 2 (7) | 6 (6) | NS |
For statistical analysis, normally distributed variables were compared using the Student t test, non-normal variables with the Mann-Whitney U test, and categorical variables with the chi-square test.
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; IV, intravenous; PO, per os.