Concomitant spinal and non-spinal osteoarticular infections

Abstract

Abstract Background: Treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis or septic arthritis can be complicated with a variety of concomitant infectious processes. No study has focused on concomitant osteoarticular infections. Materials and Methods: Between 2015 and 2019, patients over 18 years old, who were diagnosed and treated for spinal infections (SIs) or non-spinal osteoarticular infections, were included. There were six patients with concomitant spinal and non-spinal osteoarticular infections (concomitant infection [CI] group), 30 patients with SI alone (SI group), and 18 patients with articular infection (AI) alone (AI group). The data gained from the patients in the CI group were compared those in the SI group and the AI group. Results: Factors contributing to statistical significance included past or present history of cancer (100% in the CI group, 27% in the SI group, and 33% in the AI group), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (27.4 mg/dL in the CI group, 13.4 mg/dL in the SI group, and 13.8 mg/dL in the AI Group), albumin levels (2.4 g/dL in the CI group and 2.9 in both the SI group and the AI group), detection of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) (50% in the CI group, 3.3% in the SI group and 5.6% in the AI group), and duration of intravenous antibiotic therapy (131 days in the CI group, 67 days in the SI group and 29 days in the AI group). Conclusions: Patients with concomitant spinal and non-spinal osteoarticular infections were more likely to present with a past and present history of cancer, severe hypoalbuminemia, higher levels of CRP and GBS bacteremia.