Infections Flashcards
What is cellulitis?
infection of skin, subcutaneous fat, or connective tissue such as tendons/ligaments/muscle
What is osteomyelitis?
Infection of bone
What is septic arthritis?
infection of joint (synovial tissue/articular surfaces)
What are the at risk groups for infections?
- Immunosuppressed
- Diabetes
- Post-surgical
- Vascular insufficiency
- Sickle cell anemia
- IV drug users
- When conditions are right
What joints are drug addicts usually prone to infection in?
“S” Joints - spine, sacroiliacs, symphysis pubis, sternoclavicular
What is the most common organism for infection?
Staph aureus (90%)
What are the modes of infection?
- Trauma/post surgical
- Urinary tract infection
- Pneumonia
- Skin infections
- Open wound or cellulitis
- Heel sticks in infants
What are the route of dissemination of infection?
- Hematogenous
- Direct extension
- Direct implantation
- Postoperative
What is the most common route of dissemination of infection?
Hematogenous
What is the infantile pattern of vascular anatomy?
metaphyseal and diaphysral vessels may penetrate the physics (septic arthritis and osteomyelitis)
What is the childhood pattern of vascular anatomy?
1 year to physis closure, metaphyseal blood flow is slow and turbulent, metaphyseal vessels do not penetrate physics, separate epiphysis blood supply (tends to spare epiphysis and joint)
What is the adult pattern of vascular anatomy?
metaphyseal vessel penetrate the vanishing physics, establishing communication with the subarticular bone end (osteomyelitis and septic arthritis)
What are the most common locations for infections?
Knee Hip Ankle (distal tibia) Shoulder Spine
What are the two major categories for infections?
Suppurative (pus)
Non-suppurative (TB)
What is suppurative osteomyelitis?
Bone marrow infection by (pyogenic) non-tubular organism (anything but TB)
What is the most common suppurative organism of infection?
Staph. aureus
What are the clinical features of acute infection?
Edmea, lymphadenopathy, warm skin, cellulitis, joint pain
What are the 4 radiographic stages of infection?
- Latent/Hidden
- Early
- Middle
- Late
How long is the hidden/latent stage of infection?
1 to 10 days
How long is the early stage of infection?
10-21 days
How long is the middle stage of infection?
weeks
How long is the late stage of infection?
months
What radiographic features may be present during the early stage of infection
Soft tissue edema and osteopenia (micro holes). Edema displaces lucent fat planes and tends to obliterate soft tissue margins and become mass like
How long is the early stage of infection of spinal lesions?
3 weeks
What radiographic features may be present during the middle stage of infection?
Permeative or lytic moth-eaten destruction (may cross anatomical barriers), periosteal response, solid, codman’s triangle, laminated
What can the middle stage of infection look similar to?
Ewing sarcoma
What radiographic features may be present during the late stage of infection?
Cortical destruction Draining sinus Involucrum - bony collar Cloaca - big open sore Sequestrum - piece of dead bone inside bone Sclerosis Debris Loss of joint space - both sides Ankylosis Chronic incomplete resolution Immune deficient
What is a sequestrum?
Chalky, white area representing isolated dead bone and cortical and medullar infarcts
What can a sequestrum of infection look similar to?
Osteoid osteoma
What difference would there be between osteoid osteoma and sequestrum of infection?
Pain would be worse at night with osteoid osteoma and there would be a fever with infection