Spinal Abscess Research Articles

Rate of diagnostic errors and serious misdiagnosis-related harms for major vascular events, infections, and cancers: toward a national incidence estimate using the "Big Three".

Missed vascular events, infections, and cancers account for ~75% of serious harms from diagnostic errors. Just 15 diseases from these "Big Three" categories account for nearly half of all serious misdiagnosis-related harms in malpractice claims. As part of a larger project estimating total US burden of serious misdiagnosis-related harms, we performed a focused literature review to measure diagnostic error and harm rates for these 15 conditions. We searched PubMed, Google, and cited references. For errors, we selected high-quality, modern, US-based studies, if available, and best available evidence otherwise. For harms, we used literature-based estimates of the generic (disease-agnostic) rate of serious harms (morbidity/mortality) per diagnostic error and applied claims-based severity weights to construct disease-specific rates. Results were validated via expert review and comparison to prior literature that used different methods. We used Monte Carlo analysis to construct probabilistic plausible ranges (PPRs) around estimates. Rates for the 15 diseases were drawn from 28 published studies representing 91,755 patients. Diagnostic error (false negative) rates ranged from 2.2% (myocardial infarction) to 62.1% (spinal abscess), with a median of 13.6% [interquartile range (IQR) 9.2-24.7] and an aggregate mean of 9.7% (PPR 8.2-12.3). Serious misdiagnosis-related harm rates per incident disease case ranged from 1.2% (myocardial infarction) to 35.6% (spinal abscess), with a median of 5.5% (IQR 4.6-13.6) and an aggregate mean of 5.2% (PPR 4.5-6.7). Rates were considered face valid by domain experts and consistent with prior literature reports. Diagnostic improvement initiatives should focus on dangerous conditions with higher diagnostic error and misdiagnosis-related harm rates.

Complicated congenital dermal sinus: Diagnosis and management

ObjectiveCongenital dermal sinus tracts of the spine are a rare form of spinal dysraphism, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of lumbar subcutaneous abscesses, The CDS tracts can be associated with several pathological findings, including inclusion tumors (for example, epidermoid, dermoid, and teratoma), split-cord malformations, and tethered spinal cords. Excision of the sinus and its track with untethering of the cord should be done as early as possible to avoid intraspinal infection and abscess formation. Our study aims to find out the value of early diagnosis & rapid management of complicated CDS, to re-establish neurological function. Patients and methodsTen cases (2 females and 8 males), with age range (13 months −4 years) presented with acute paraparesis and one case of quadriparesis, MRI spine showed spinal abscess, operative drainage was done with excision of the dermal sinus and track. ResultsNeurological deficits improved in all cases, but 4 cases showed residual deficits, while the other 6 cases got complete recovery. ConclusionEstablishing diagnosis and rapid management of abscess complicating a congenital dermal sinus, is crucial to restore neurological function.

Spinal Infections: An Update.

Spinal infection poses a demanding diagnostic and treatment problem for which a multidisciplinary approach with spine surgeons, radiologists, and infectious disease specialists is required. Infections are usually caused by bacterial microorganisms, although fungal infections can also occur. The most common route for spinal infection is through hematogenous spread of the microorganism from a distant infected area. Most patients with spinal infections diagnosed in early stages can be successfully managed conservatively with antibiotics, bed rest, and spinal braces. In cases of gross or pending instability, progressive neurological deficits, failure of conservative treatment, spinal abscess formation, severe symptoms indicating sepsis, and failure of previous conservative treatment, surgical treatment is required. In either case, close monitoring of the patients with spinal infection with serial neurological examinations and imaging studies is necessary.

Epidural spinal abscess from pneumonia in an immunocompetent patient: a case report.

Spontaneous spinal epidural abscesses are rare and often present high mortality due to late diagnosis. Spinal epidural abscesses are mainly formed by spondylodiscitis, osteomyelitis, hematogenous dissemination, or by local manipulation (surgery or epidural catheter placement). Recommended treatment is surgical medullar decompression followed by targeted antibiotic therapy. Authors document a case of a 51-year-old female, smoker, with bipolar disease and a recent hospitalization due to pneumonia. She was treated with antibiotic therapy with complete resolution of symptoms and laboratory abnormalities. After discharge, she reports periodic fever episodes, with no identified focus and not valued by her. About a month later, sudden paraparesis occurred, and an epidural abscess was diagnosed and it was submitted to surgical drainage. After spinal decompression, she underwent antibiotic therapy for twelve weeks with complete neurological recovery. Although uncommon, spinal epidural abscesses may be formed by contiguity lesions in the pleural space.

Spinal Abscess in a Patient with Undiagnosed Congenital Dermal Sinus Tract.

Spinal Abscess in a Patient with Undiagnosed Congenital Dermal Sinus Tract.

Accidental dural puncture-perioperative management.

Accidental dural puncture-perioperative management.

2542. ID-Psych Addiction Rounds: A New Model to Address Opioid Use Disorder For Patients on the Infectious Disease Consult Service

BackgroundID physicians often treat the infectious sequelae of opioid use disorder (OUD) and are uniquely poised to link hospitalized patients to substance use resources. In a large safety net hospital, we launched a multi-disciplinary initiative to ensure that patients on the ID consult service with OUD were always offered medication-assisted treatment (MAT). We used infections as “sentinel” events to identify patients with OUD and described the clinical characteristics of the high-risk patient population jointly consulted by ID and Psychiatry teams. This healthcare workforce initiative aimed to expand the role of ID providers in the opioid epidemic and decrease barriers to buprenorphine prescribing.MethodsEvery 2 weeks, ID fellows identified patients on their consult lists with infectious complications of OUD. Focused discussions were then held with the Psychiatry service and discussion of each patient continued at subsequent case conferences with attention paid to re-engaging those lost to follow-up. We performed chart abstraction of demographic and clinical characteristics as part of a quality improvement initiative.ResultsFrom October 2018 to March 2019, 23 patients were discussed at 10 case conferences with input from attendings, fellows, housestaff, social workers, and representatives from a novel Primary Care Safety Net program. The average patient age was 43 (range 24–50). Patients were predominantly male (65%), heroin users (90%) with high rates of HIV (22%) and untreated HCV (40%). ID-related infections included endocarditis (39%), osteomyelitis (31%), skin and soft-tissue infections (17%) and spinal abscesses (17%). The median time for a patient to be presented at an ID-Psych Addiction Rounds was 7 days (IQR 4.5–11.5). The mean length of hospitalization was 30 days (range 2–112). MAT was initiated in 75% of patients (41% buprenorphine; 59% methadone). The 30-day lost to follow-up rate was exceedingly high, with 80% of post-hospital appointments being missed.ConclusionID physicians can effectively link hospitalized patients with OUD to substance use resources. A multi-disciplinary approach is key to addressing the opioid epidemic. Future work should explore how to create effective post-hospital transitions to decrease those lost to follow-up.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Acute Tumefactive Demyelinating Lesion Confined to Spinal Cord and Brainstem Mimicking Abscess: A Case Report

Acute Tumefactive Demyelinating Lesion Confined to Spinal Cord and Brainstem Mimicking Abscess: A Case Report

Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis to the Spine—Case Series and Review of Literature

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infectious disease caused by the Coccidioides species endemic to Southwestern United States. Symptomatic patients typically present as community-acquired pneumonia. Uncommonly, in about 1% of infections, hematogenous extra pulmonary systemic dissemination involving skin, musculoskeletal system, and meninges occur. Disseminated spinal infection is treated with antifungal drugs and/or surgical treatment. A retrospective review of medical records at our institution was done between January 2009 to December 2018 and we present three cases of spinal coccidioidomycosis and review the current literature. Disseminated coccidioidomycosis can lead to spondylitis that can present as discitis or a localized spinal or paraspinal abscess. Spinal coccidioidomycosis is typically managed with antifungal treatments but can include surgical treatment in the setting poor response to medical therapy, intractable pain, presence of neurological deficits due to compression, or structural spinal instability.

Hematoma and Abscess After Neuraxial Anesthesia: A Review of 647 Cases

(Br J Anaesth. 2018;120:693–704) Incidences of spinal hematoma or abscess after central neuraxial block (CNB) are estimated to be low, with the former being 1:154,730 and the latter being so rare, it could not even be calculated in a major 2016 study. Because of the rarity, there is no evidence on which to base recommendations for management strategies. However, these adverse events could result in permanent injury for patients, with the incidence of paraplegia or death being 1.8 per 100,000 patients. Therefore, the authors of the present study reviewed all cases reported regarding spinal hematomas or abscesses after CNB, identified potential factors that may predispose patients to these adverse outcomes, and predicted persistent neurological damage.

Trends in Practice and Safety Measures of Epidural Analgesia: Report of a National Survey

(Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2018;62:1466–1472) There is a trend to move away from neuraxial blocks in favor of truncal blocks, peripheral nerve blocks, and local anesthetic wound infiltration in the Netherlands. Furthermore, recent epidural “alert systems” have been introduced, meant to aid in the early detection of spinal hematoma or abscess after neuraxial anesthesia. However, these changes have not been investigated on a national level. The authors of the present study thus quantified trends in the practice of epidural analgesia and assessed the extent to which these epidural alert systems have been introduced in clinical practice.

Clinical Features and Prognosis Factors of Spinal Tuberculosis in Northern Tunisia: A Case Series of 60 Patients

Spondylodiscitis is a common but potentially serious form of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Very few descriptions are known from Tunisia. We have conducted a retrospective study including 60 cases of spinal tuberculosis, performed over a period of 20 years (1996-2016). The diagnosis was retained on bacteriological, radiological and anatomopathologic evidence. Sixty cases including 31 women and 29 men of spinal tuberculosis were involved. The mean age was 54.4 ± 21.3 years. The delay from onset to diagnosis was 6 months (1-14). Lumbar region was the most common infection site (68%). The magnetic resonance imaging has confirmed spinal infection in all cases. The percutaneous image guided spinal biopsy was conclusive in 24/42 cases (57.1%). All patients were put under anti-tuberculosis treatment with total treatment duration of 14 months. Fourteen patients underwent surgical act. The outcome was favorable in 42 cases (7%). Advanced age ≥ 65 years (P = 0.026), radiological evidence of spinal cord compression (P = 0.033) or abscess (P = 0.024), hyperleucocytosis higher than 11,500 elements/mm3 (0.031), or fractures on bone imaging (P = 0.018) and vertebral deformity (P < 0.001) were strongly linked to a bad outcome. Early diagnosis and treatment onset may ensure better outcomes and reduce neurological complications and vertebral deformity.

Immunocompromised patients with subdural spinal abscess

Purpose: Background: Subdural spinal abscess is a rare pathology, the cause of which is generally found to be Staphylococcus Aureus, mostly affecting the thoraco-lumbar part of the vertebral column. RM is a means of diagnosing the pathology. We will be presenting the medical case of a diabetic patient with a paraspinal abscess in the lumbar region of the vertebral column. Methods & Materials: Case overview:46 y.o. and has been diagnosed with Mellitus Diabetes. He came to our emergency room disoriented, with a high fever, and nuchal rigidity. Results: Five days history of fever and lower back ache. After the initial examination, a CT scan of his head was conducted; seeing that it did not show an issue, we went through with the lumbar drilling, the result of which showed an abundance of polymorphonuclear and bacteria, which turned out to be Staphylococcus Aureus. Through an RM we were able to detect intraspinal abscesses on the levels of L3 to L5 with inflammatory differences on the parasternal muscles. Inflammation of the Posterior Dura with the aspect of Epiduritis. Arachnoidal cyst spreading from T8-T11, accompanied by a compression of the Spinal Medulla. The patient was treated with Vancomycin and Insulin-therapy. The patient recovered 37 days later. Review of the information: including our patient, there are 66 documented and published cases of the paraspinal abscess. After reviewing these cases we conclude that: The main cause in 34 cases is Staphylococcus Aureus. The most frequent affected area is the lumbar region. The patients are mostly 60 to 70 years old, but the vast majority of them have one or more of these predisposing factors: mellitus diabetes, chronic etilism, tumour, HIV, or abnormalities of the vertebral column. An outline of the clinical events:1.Fever and pain2.fever, lower back pain, and neurological deficits3.total paralysis below the abscess CT and RM scans are used in the placing of the diagnosis. The treatment depending on the different stage of the illness includes therapy with antibiotics and/or surgical drainage. Conclusion: Even though the patient was immunocompromised, the early diagnosis and the immediate therapy brought about the healing of the patient.

Characterization of Medical Professional Liability Risks Associated With Transesophageal Echocardiography

Medical claim data offer the possibility to improve patient care and mitigate liability. Although published analyses exist in cardiology, no information is available for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). In this study, the authors reviewed medical claims involving TEE to identify potential risk management concerns so that these lessons could be used to improve the safety and quality of transesophageal echocardiographic practice. The authors reviewed anonymized clinical and claims data from all closed claims from 2008 to 2013 for a single national physician liability insurer. There were no claims involving transthoracic echocardiography and eight involving TEE. Three claims involved esophageal perforation, a known risk of TEE. Two claims involved quadriplegia allegedly due to neck manipulation in the setting of a cervical spinal abscess that should have been suspected. Three claims involved the cardiologist's failure to diagnose endocarditis, with allegations that the cardiologist did not perform TEE in an appropriate time frame to avoid major morbidity and mortality from endocarditis. Liability claims associated with TEE involve failure to order and perform TEE in an appropriate clinical scenario and in a timely manner; failure to properly document medical decision making; failure to inform patients regarding risks of TEE; failure to properly monitor the patient before, during, and after TEE; and technical difficulties in performing the procedure. Cardiologists should recognize guideline-based indications when TEE is needed and be mindful of the complication rates of this procedure. When screening a patient for TEE, consider expert input that may reduce the risks of TEE (e.g., a spine specialist for a neck injury, a gastroenterologist for esophageal comorbidity). Informed consent and medical record documentation should be practiced as a vehicle to inform patients of these risks and chronicle decision-making processes.

Current therapeutic strategy in osteoarticular brucellosis.

Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease with high morbidity. In the majority of human cases, the causative agent is B. melitensis. Infection is transmitted to humans by direct/indirect contact with the contaminated animal products (e.g., consumption of unpasteurized milk), infectious aerosols and aborted fetus. Brucellosis often affects middle-aged adults and young people. Patients with brucellosis tend to have non-specific symptoms, including fever, chills, night sweats, joint pain and myalgia. Brucellosis affects various organs and tissues. The osteoarticular system is one of the most commonly described affected systems in humans. In several clinical studies, the prevalence of Osteoarticular Brucellosis (OB) is reported as 2-77%. Most important osteoarticular clinical forms osteomyelitis, spondylitis, sacroiliitis, arthritis and bursitis. Spondylitis and spondylodiscitis are the most frequent complications. Spondylodiscitis often affects the lumbar (especially at the L4- L5 levels) and low thoracic vertebrae than the cervical spine. Back pain and sciatica radiculopathy are the most common complaints about patients. Sacroiliitis is associated with severe pain, especially back pain in affected individuals. Spinal destructive brucellar lesions are also reported in adults in previous studies. Brucellosis is diagnosed with clinical inflammatory signs (eg. tenderness, pain) of the affected joints together with positive serological tests and positive blood/synovial fluids cultures. Serological test measures the total amount of IgM/IgG antibodies. Standard agglutination test (SAT) titer ≥1:160 is in favor of brucellosis diagnosis. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are other types of diagnostic tests. Radiological assessments, such as joint sonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, are the most helpful radiological methods to diagnose spinal brucellosis.The agents commonly used in the treatment of brucella spondylitis are doxycycline, streptomycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and rifampicin. The recommended regimens for treatment of brucella involve two or three antibiotics combinations. No standard treatment, physicians prescribe drugs based on conditions of the disease. Patients need a long-term (usually at three months) antibiotic therapy for mainly aiming to prevent relapses. Surgery may be required for patients with spinal abscess. This review focused on physicians’ awareness for osteoarticular involvement, clinical presentation, diagnosis and current treatment of OB.

Spontaneous spondylodiscitis: review, incidence, management, and clinical outcome in 44 patients.

OBJECTIVESpontaneous spondylodiscitis remains uncommon but is a serious complication of the vertebral column. Risk factors include diabetes, hemodialysis, intravenous drug abuse, and chronic steroid use, and pain is the most common presenting symptom. This study aims to review the literature and report on the incidence, management, and clinical outcome of spontaneous spondylodiscitis in 44 patients.METHODSThis is a prospective study including 44 patients with spontaneous spondylodiscitis managed in the neurosurgery department of Cairo University Hospitals during the period between January 2012 and October 2017. All patients had a full clinical assessment, laboratory tests, radiological studies in the form of MRI with and without contrast, and a postoperative follow-up of up to 12 months.RESULTSTwelve cases underwent conservative treatment in the form of complete bed rest, intravenous antibiotics, and a spinal brace. Ten cases underwent surgical intervention in the form of laminectomy, debridement, and open biopsy. Twenty-two cases underwent laminectomy and surgical stabilization with fusion. There were 15 cases of tuberculous spondylodiscitis, 6 cases of brucellosis, 6 cases of pyogenic infection, and 17 cases in which no organism could be detected.CONCLUSIONSOnce the primary diagnosis is confirmed, early and adequately prolonged antibiotic therapy is recommended for spontaneous spondylodiscitis. Some cases can be successfully treated with conservative treatment alone, whereas surgery may be needed in other cases such as severe destruction of endplates, spinal abscess formation, mechanical instability, neurological deficits, and severe pain that have failed to respond to conservative treatment.

Outcomes of decompression and fusion for treatment of spinal infection

Spine infection including vertebral osteomyelitis, discitis, paraspinal musculoskeletal infection, and spinal abscess refractory to medical management poses significant challenges to the treating physician. Surgical management is often required in patients suffering neurological deficits or spinal deformity with significant pain. To date, best practices have not been elucidated for the optimization of health outcomes and resource utilization in the setting of surgical intervention for spinal infection. The authors conducted the present study to assess the magnitude of reoperation rates in both fusion and nonfusion groups as well as overall health resource utilization following surgical decompression for spine infection. The authors performed an analysis using MarketScan (2001–2015) to identify health outcomes and healthcare utilization metrics of spine infection following surgical intervention with decompression alone or combined with fusion. Adult patients underwent surgical management for primary or secondary spinal infection and were followed up for at least 12 months postoperatively. Assessed outcomes included reoperation, healthcare utilization and payment at the index hospitalization and within 12 months after discharge, postoperative complications, and infection recurrence. A total of 2662 patients in the database were eligible for inclusion in this study. Rehospitalization for infection was observed in 3.99% of patients who had undergone fusion and in 11.25% of those treated with decompression alone. Reoperation was needed in 12.7% of the patients without fusion and 8.16% of those with fusion. Complications within 30 days were more common in the nonfusion group (24.64%) than in the fusion group (16.49%). Overall postoperative payments after 12 months totaled $33,137 for the nonfusion group and $23,426 for the fusion group. In this large cohort study with a 12-month follow-up, the recurrence of infection, reoperation rates, and complications were higher in patients treated with decompression alone than in those treated with decompression plus fusion. These findings along with imaging characteristics, disease severity, extent of bony resection, and the presence of instability may help surgeons decide whether to include fusion at the time of initial surgery. Further studies that control for selection bias in appropriately matched cohorts are necessary to determine the additive benefits of fusion in spinal infection management.

Mielopatía compresiva por Mycobacterium tuberculosis en una niña de origen indígena: un caso clínico de zona endémica amazónica

Introducción. La mielopatía compresiva es ocasionada por diversidad de condiciones. Los abscesos espinales se cuentan como una de sus causas de menor incidencia, con 0.2 a 2 casos por cada 10,000 ingresos hospitalarios, según estadísticas reportadas por el Hospital General de Massachusetts. El Mycobacterium tuberculosis es el segundo patógeno más frecuentemente implicado, con 25% de los casos. Objetivo. Presentar un caso de tuberculosis espinal en edad pediátrica, que es infrecuente pero de relevancia epidemiológica. Presentación del caso. Paciente femenina de siete años de edad, procedente de área endémica amazónica, con sintomatología de compresión de médula espinal. Su historia clínica, nexos epidemiológicos y hallazgos paraclínicos y quirúrgicos llevaron al diagnóstico de tuberculosis espinal. Recibió manejo descompresivo y terapia farmacológica con tetraconjugado, con evolución favorable al momento de su egreso. Conclusiones. La tuberculosis espinal, entidad infecciosa de baja frecuencia, requiere un alto índice de sospecha y un tratamiento oportuno. Las imágenes de resonancia magnética espinal orientan el diagnóstico, confirmándose mediante el aislamiento microbiológico del bacilo. Países como Colombia, con alta endemicidad para el Mycobacterium tuberculosis y con gran proporción de su población en riesgo, deben vigilar de manera constante la tuberculosis y tener presente esta entidad dentro de los diagnósticos diferenciales a descartar. [LeguizamónCastillo DC, Espinosa-García E, Vélez-Pachón CV, CedielEcheverry M. Mielopatía compresiva por Mycobacterium tuberculosis en una niña de origen indígena: un caso clínico de zona endémica amazónica. MedUNAB. 2018;21(1):138146. doi: 10.29375/01237047.2700].

Trends in practice and safety measures of epidural analgesia: Report of a national survey.

The clinical use of epidural analgesia has changed over past decades. Minimally invasive surgery and emergence of alternative analgesic techniques have led to an overall decline in its use. In addition, there is increasing awareness of the patient-specific risks for complications such as spinal haematoma and abscess. Local guidelines for management of severe neurological complications during or after epidural analgesia, ie, "epidural alert systems", have been introduced in hospitals to coordinate and potentially streamline early diagnosis and treatment. How widely such protocols have been implemented in daily practice is unknown. We conducted a survey to analyse trends in practice, key indications, safety measures, safety reporting, and management of complications of epidural analgesia in the Netherlands. Data were gathered using a web-based questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Questionnaires from 85 of all 94 Dutch hospitals performing epidural analgesia were collected and analysed, a 90% response rate. Fifty-five percent reported a trend towards decreased use of perioperative epidural analgesia, while 68% reported increasing use of epidural analgesia for labour. Reported key indications for epidural analgesia were thoracotomy, upper abdominal laparotomy, and abdominal cancer debulking. An epidural alert system for neurological complications of epidural analgesia was available in 45% of hospitals. This national audit concerning use and safety of epidural analgesia demonstrates that a minority of Dutch hospitals have procedures to manage suspected neurological complications of epidural analgesia, whereas in the remaining hospitals responsibilities and timelines for management of epidural emergencies are determined on an ad hoc basis.

Spinal Intramedullary Abscess Secondary to Dermal Sinus in Children.

Congenital dermal sinuses (CDS) are uncommon lesions. They are most often noted in lumbosacral region and may lead to meningitis or spinal abscess. Intramedullary spinal cord abscess (IMSCA) due to CDS is rare and often co-exists with an inclusion tumor such as dermoid/epidermoid cyst. Literature review was done to analyze all cases of pediatric IMSCA secondary to CDS by searching online databases starting from the oldest case reported. Only 50 cases have been reported and were analyzed. Mean age was 22.6 months (range 1 month-15 years). Fever, acute flaccid lower limb weakness, and urinary disturbances were the most common presenting features. Dermal sinus was commonest in lumbosacral region. Inclusion cysts were observed in 50% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most the common organism. Mean follow-up duration was 18.2 months (range 1 week-156 months). Majority of the cases underwent multilevel laminectomy with myelotomy and drainage of abscess. Outcome was good-to-excellent in around 60% cases with four deaths. Presence of fever and limb weakness was significantly associated with poor outcomes. Intramedullary abscess secondary to CDS is very rare. Complete sinus tract excision, myelotomy and drainage of abscess, and decompression of co-existent inclusion cysts with prolonged antibiotic therapy remain the standard treatment. Approximately 60% cases achieve good outcomes. Fever and limb weakness portend poorer outcomes than those without.