Biodegradable Antibiotic Delivery Systems in the treatment chronic osteomyelitis

Abstract

An 82-year-old woman was referred to the orthopedic department with a three-month history of low-grade fever. She had a known past history of type 2 diabetes. She had been unwell for last 5-days, complaining of feeling hot and 'shivery' with general aches, particularly in her right shoulder. The staff in the residential home where she lived had called the general practitioner who had prescribed a three-day course of trimethoprim for a suspected urinary tract infection. On examination, she was pyrexia with a temperature of 39.5°C. She was drowsy but reusable. Pulse was 125 beats per minute and regular. Blood pressure was 90/55 mmHg. Heart sounds were normal with no added sounds or murmurs. The chest was clear. Her abdomen was soft and non-tender with no palpable masses or organs. The skin overlying the right shoulder was warm to touch and erythematous. She was unable to tolerate any passive movement of the joint. A plain x ray of her shoulder shows lucent defects in the head of the humerus with loss of the normally well-corticated surface. This is consistent with osteomyelitis. Two of 2-blood cultures and numerous operative cultures grew MRSA. His subsequent treatment consisted of intravenous vancomycin, achieving plasma drug levels approximating 24 μg/mL. This treatment was extended for 8 weeks, given the clinical concern for possible osteomyelitis in an area. Treatment was complicated by significant a decline in hearing. Biodegradable drug delivery systems provide a method for local delivery of drugs in deeper tissues, obviating parenteral or enteral usage; in some situations, a significant advantage is that much higher doses and/or strengths of the drug can be delivered locally than can be tolerated if the drug is delivered systemically. In this case report, we discussed the use of Biodegradable Antibiotic Delivery Systems in treatment chronic osteomyelitis.