Table 2.
Factors predicting outcome from spondylodiscitis.
| Risk Factor | Total (n = 91) | Favourable Outcome (n = 29) | Unfavourable Outcome 1 (n = 62) | p-Value 2 Univariate Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | ||||
| Age (median (range)) | 62.5 (17–91) | 59 (17–90) | 64 (35–91) | 0.121 |
| Diabetes mellitus (n (%)) | 16 (18) | 1 (3) | 15 (24) | 0.017 * |
| Immune compromise (n (%)) | 18 (20) | 3 (10) | 15 (24) | 0.162 |
| Post-surgical (n (%)) | 16 (18) | 5 (17) | 11 (18) | >0.99 |
| Presenting features | ||||
| Sepsis (n (%)) | 22 (24) | 7 (24) | 15 (24) | >0.99 |
| Frankel grading scale A–D (n (%)) | 46 (51) | 5 (17) | 39 (63) | <0.001 * |
| Duration of symptoms (median days (range)) | 36 (1–203) | 27 (1–71) | 41 (2–203) | 0.049 * |
| C-reactive protein (median mg/L (range)) | 170 (4–508) | 143 (15–395) | 181 (4–508) | 0.157 |
| White blood cell count (median × 109 (range)) | 13.1 (6.0–33.7) | 12.2 (6.6–24.3) | 13.6 (6.0–33.7) | 0.18 |
| Endocarditis | 4 (4) | 1 (3) | 3 (5) | >0.99 |
| Radiological features | ||||
| Epidural abscess (n (%)) | 55 (60) | 16 (55) | 39 (63) | 0.467 |
| Multiple level discitis (n (%)) | 27 (30) | 6 (20) | 21 (34) | 0.228 |
| Cord/cauda equina compression (n (%)) | 32 (35) | 5 (17.2) | 27 (44) | 0.018 * |
| Vertebral instability (n (%)) | 12 (13) | 2 (7) | 10 (16) | 0.325 |
| Microbiological diagnosis | ||||
| Bacteraemia (n (%)) | 47 (52) | 18 (62) | 29 (47) | 0.187 |
| Staphylococcus aureus (n (%)) | 35 (39) | 10 (35) | 25 (40) | 0.649 |
1 Unfavourable outcome was defined as death, long-term physical disability or persistent pain requiring regular analgesia. 2 The significance of the differences between the groups with favourable and unfavourable outcomes was analysed using independent t-tests for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact testing for categorical variables. * indicates p < 0.05.