Infection in Bones and Joints Flashcards
Acute osteomyelitis
- new infection of bone
- mostly children
- boys > girls
- history of trauma (minor)
- other disease
- diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, immune compromised, long-term steroid treatment, sickle cell
Acute osteomyelitis-source of infection
- haematogenous spread – children and elderly
- local spread from contiguous site of infection – trauma (open fracture), bone surgery (ORIF), joint replacement
- secondary to vascular insufficiency
Acute osteomyelitis-organisms in infants <1year
- Staph aureus
- Group B streptococci
- E. coli (especially <1 month)
Acute osteomyelitis-organisms in older children
- Staph aureus
- Strep pyogenes
- Haemophilus influenzae
Acute osteomyelitis-organisms in adults
- Staph aureus
- coagulase negative staphylococci (prostheses)
- Propionibacterium spp (prostheses)
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Pseudomonas aeroginosa (esp. secondary to penetrating foot injuries, IVDAs)
Acute osteomyelitis-organisms in diabetic foot and pressure sores
-mixed infection including anaerobes
Acute osteomyelitis-organisms in sickle cell disease
-salmonella spp
Acute osteomyelitis-organisms in fisherman, filliters
-mycobacterium marinum
Acute osteomyelitis-organisms in AIDS
-Candida
Acute osteomyelitis pathology
- starts at metaphysis
- vascular stasis (venous congestion + arterial thrombosis)
- acute inflammation – increased pressure
- suppuration
- release of pressure (medulla, sub-periosteal, into joint)
- necrosis of bone (sequestrum)
- new bone formation (involucrum)
- resolution - or not (chronic osteomyelitis)
Acute osteomyelitis clinical features - infant
- may be minimal signs, or may be very ill
- failure to thrive
- possibly drowsy or irritable
- metaphyseal tenderness and swelling
- decreased ROM
- positional change
- commonest around the knee
Acute osteomyelitis clinical features - child
- severe pain
- reluctant to move (neighbouring joints held flexed); not weight bearing
- may be tender fever (swinging pyrexia) + tachycardia
- malaise (fatigue, nausea, vomiting)
- toxaemia
Acute osteomyelitis clinical features - adult
- Primary OM seen commonly in thoracolumbar spine
- backache
- history of UTI or urological procedure
- elderly, diabetic, immunocompromised - Secondary OM much more common
- often after open fracture, surgery (esp. ORIF)
- mixture of organisms
Acute osteomyelitis initial investigations
- FBC + diff WBC (neutrophil leucocytosis)
- ESR, CRP
- blood cultures x3 (at peak of temperature – 60% +ve)
- U&Es
- X-ray (normal in the first 10-14 days)
- ultrasound
- aspiration
- isotope Bone Scan (Tc-99, Gallium-67)
- labelled white cell scan (Indium-111)
- MRI
Acute osteomyelitis differential diagnosis
- acute septic arthritis
- acute inflammatory arthritis
- trauma (fracture, dislocation, etc.)
- transient synovitis (“irritable hip”)
- soft tissue infection
- cellulitis
- erysipelas - superficial infection with red, raised plaque (Gp A Strep)
- necrotising fasciitis
- gas gangrene
- toxic shock syndrome