Bone + Soft Tissue Infections Flashcards
What is osteomyelitis
INFECTION of BONE - specific/non-specific
non-specific most common
Acute OM presentation in infants
• MINIMAL SIGNS/may be V. ILL
- FAILURE TO THRIVE = STOP EATING
- Poss. DROWSY/IRRITABLE
• METAPHYSEAL TENDERNESS + SWELLING - unlikely to see as babies are chubby
- DECREASE ROM
- POSITIONAL CHANGE = may adopt unusual positions
• COMMONEST ~ KNEE
Acute OM presentation in children
- SEVERE PAIN
- RELUCTANT TO MOVE = NEIGHBOURING JOINT HELD FLEXED + NOT WGT. BEARING
- CAN MOVE A LITTLE BIT
- Poss. TENDER FEVER (SWINGING PYREXIA) + TACHYCARDIA
- MALAISE = FATIGUE, N & V, FRETFUL/DISTRESSED
- TOXAEMIA
Acute OM presentation in adults
- PRIMARY OM = THORACOLUMBAR SPINE commonly
- BACKACHE
- Hx of UTI/UROLOGICAL PROCEDURE
- ELDERLY, DM, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
May have late presentation due to difficulties in differentiating bwtn this & “normal” back pain
- SECONDARY OM = MORE COMMON
- Often after OPEN FRACTURE, SURGERY (esp. ORIF)
- MIXTURE of ORGANISMS
Chronic OM presentation
Involves REPEATED BREAKDOWN of “HEALED” WOUNDS = LOTS of SINUSES
Acute OM epidemiology
- MOSTLY CHILDREN - DIFF. AGES
- BOYS > GIRLS
- Hx of TRAUMA - MINOR
- OTHER DISEASE:
- DM
- RHEMATIC ARTHRITIS
- IMMUNE COMPROMISE
- LONG-TERM STEROID TREATMENT
- SICKLE CELL
Acute OM infection source/route
- HAEMATOGENOUS SPREAD = CHILDREN & ELDERLY
- LOCAL SPREAD from CONTIGUOUS SITE of INFECTION = TRAUMA (OPEN FRACTURE), BONE SURGERY (ORIF), JOINT REPLACEMENT - SKIN PERFORATION
- SECONDARY to VASCULAR INSUFFICIENCY
infants - infected umbilical cord
children - boils, tonsillitis, skin abrasions
adults - UTI, arterial line, venous line
Chronic OM infection source/route
- May FOLLOW ACUTE OM = rare in children due to aggressive treatment
- May START DE NOVO e.g. FOLLOWING OPERATION, FOLLOWING OPEN FRACTURE (poss. Many years after initial fracture), IMMUNOSUPPRESSED, DM, ELDERLY, PWID etc.
Acute OM micro-organisms
infants < 1yr = s. aureus, group b streptococcus, e. coli (if present, often part of more widespread infection)
older children = s. aureus, strep pyogenes, h. influenzae
adults = s. aureus mainly, coagulase -ve staph, propionbacterium (joint replacements, low virulence, skin commensal), mycobacterium tuberculosis, pseudomonas aeruginosa (secondary to foot injuries, PWID)
Other:
diabetic foot + pressure sores = mixed infections incl. anaerobes
sickle cell disease = salmonella spp.
fishermen, filleter = mycobacterium marinum
debilitating illness, HIV, AIDS etc. = candida
Chronic OM micro-organisms
often mixed infection - usually same organism/s each flare up
mainly = s. aureus, e. coli, strep. pyogenes, proteus
Acute OM pathophysiology
LONG BONES = METAPHYSIS e.g. distal femur, proximal tibia, proximal humerus
JOINTS w/ INTRA-ARTICULAR METAPHYSIS e.g. hip, elbow (radial head)
1. Starts at METAPHYSIS (TRAUMA may play a role in this as it's the SHOCK-ABSORBING part of bone + has VASCULATURE running through it) 2. VASCULAR STASIS = VENOUS CONGESTION + ARTERIAL THROMBOSIS 3. ACUTE INFLAMMATION = INCREASED PRESSURE 4. SUPPURATION 5. RELEASE of PRESSURE = medulla, sub-periosteal, into joint 6. BONE NECROSIS (SEQUESTRUM) due to pus 7. NEW BONE FORMAITON (INVOLUCRUM) 8. RESOLUTION/NOT (CHRONIC OSTEOMYELITIS - permanent unless radical treatment)
Chronic OM pathophysiology
- CAVITIES, poss. SINUS/ES
- DEAD BONE (RETIANED SEQUESTRA)
- INVOLUCRUM
- HISTOLOGICAL PICTURE is one of CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
Acute OM investigations/diagnosis
• Hx & CLINICAL EXAMINATION = PULSE + TEMP.
BLOODS:
* FBC + DIFF. WBC (NEUTROPHIL LEUCOCYTOSIS) * ESR, CRP * BLOOD CULTURES x3 (at peak of temp. ~ 60% are +ve) - 50:50 may culture bacteria * U+E = ILL, DEHYDRATED
IMAGING:
* X-RAY (normal in the first 10-14 days) - > 10-20 days may see early periosteal changes, the medulla may show lytic areas, may then see sequestrum (late osteonecrosis) + involucrum (late periosteal new bone) * USS (may see periosteal pus) * MRI
OTHER:
* ASPIRATION for pus (will aspirate if purulent matter is suspected) * ISOTOPE BONE SCAN * LABELLED WHITE CELL SCAN (white cells congregate at site of infection)
MICROBIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS:
* BLOOD CULTURES in HAEMATOGENOUS OM & SEPTIC ARTHRITIS = 5-6x * BONE BIOPSY * TISSUE/SWABS from up to 5 SITES ~ IMPLANT at DEBRIDEMENT in PROSTHETIC INFECTIONS * SINUS TRACT & SUPERFICIAL SWAB RESULTS may be MISLEADING (SKIN CONTAMINANTS may be found on superficial swabs - take swabs from DEEPER REGIONS of INFECTION to be more accurate)
Acute OM management
- SUPPORTIVE TREATMENT for PAIN + DEHYDRATION
- GENERAL CARE, ANALGESIA
- REST + SPLINTAGE
- ANTIBIOTICS = FLUCLOXACILLIN for 4-6 WEEKS either ORALLY/IV until sensitivity results come out
- ROUTE = IV/ORAL SWITCH - 7-10 days, depending on how bad the infection is & whether pt. still has swallowing mechanisms intact
- DURATION = 4-6 WEEKS - depends on response, ESR
- CHOICE = EMPIRICAL (FLUCLOXACILLIN + BenzylPen - more just fluclox now) while waiting for sensitivity results
• SURGERY:
• INDICATIONS - aspiration for pus for diagnosis + culture, abscess drainage, debridement of dead/infected/contaminated tissue, refractory to non-operative rx after 24 - 48hrs • TIMING, DRAINAGE, LAVAGE INFECTED JOINT REPLACEMENTS - ONE STAGE REVISION/TWO STAGE REVISION/ANTIBIOTICS ONLY
Chronic OM management
• LONG-TERM ANTIBIOTICS
* LOCAL = GENTAMICIN CEMENT/BEADS, COLLATAMP * SYSTEMIC = ORALLY/IV/HOME AB
- SURGERY = ERADICATE BONE INFECTION, may req. multiple operations
- PLASTICS = TREAT SOFT TISSUE PROBLEMS
- DEFORMITY CORRECTION
- MASSIVE RECONSTRUCTION
- AMPUTATION may be necessary