Clinical features and outcome of vertebral osteomyelitis after spinal injection: is it worth the price?

Early and late mortality in vertebral osteomyelitis: who dies within the first year after diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) is a severe clinical entity associated with high mortality rates, especially within the first year after diagnosis. The aim of this single-center prospective cohort study was to identify and compare predictive factors influencing early and late mortality in patients with conservatively and surgically treated VO.

METHODS

We conducted a single-center prospective cohort study including patients treated for VO between 2008 and 2020 in a tertiary center in Germany to determine early (death within 30 days after diagnosis) and late mortality (death between day 31 and 365 after diagnosis). Additionally, multivariable analyses were performed to analyze predictive risk factors for early and late mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 323 patients were included. 19% died within the first year after diagnosis. Early mortality occurred in 5% and late mortality in 14% of cases. Multivariable analysis revealed chronic kidney disease (CKD) (OR: 13.2, 95% CI 5.7-30.3; p < 0.001) and MSSA (OR: 4.0, 95% CI 1.4-11.1; p = 0.008) as independent risk factors for early mortality, whereas ASA score > 2 (HR: 5.2, 95% CI 2.6-10.6; p < 0.001), age > 70 years (HR: 2.4, 95% CI 1.6-3.7; p < 0.001), CKD (HR: 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-3.0; p = 0.003) and bacteremia (HR: 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.7; p = 0.002) were identified as independent risk factors for late mortality.

CONCLUSION

One out of five VO patients dies within the first year after diagnosis. Risk factors for mortality within the first year include CKD and bacteremia. As a consequence in particular those patients should be closely monitored within the first year after.

Identification of pathogen composition in a Chinese population with iatrogenic and native vertebral osteomyelitis by using mNGS

BACKGROUND

Early antimicrobial therapy is crucial regarding the prognosis of vertebral osteomyelitis, but early pathogen diagnosis remains challenging.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to differentiate the types of pathogens in iatrogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (IVO) and native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) to guide early antibiotic treatment.

METHODS

A total of 145 patients, who had confirmed spinal infection and underwent metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) testing, were included, with 114 in the NVO group and 31 in the IVO group. Using mNGS, we detected and classified 53 pathogens in the 31 patients in the IVO group and 169 pathogens in the 114 patients in the NVO group. To further distinguish IVO from NVO, we employed machine learning algorithms to select serum biomarkers and developed a nomogram model.

RESULTS

The results revealed that the proportion of the Actinobacteria phylum in the NVO group was approximately 28.40%, which was significantly higher than the 15.09% in the IVO group. Conversely, the proportion of the Firmicutes phylum (39.62%) in the IVO group was markedly increased compared to the 21.30% in the NVO group. Further genus-level classification demonstrated that Staphylococcus was the most common pathogen in the IVO group, whereas Mycobacterium was predominant in the NVO group. Through LASSO regression and random forest algorithms, we identified 5 serum biomarkers including percentage of basophils (BASO%), percentage of monocytes (Mono%), platelet volume (PCT), globulin (G), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) for distinguishing IVO from NVO. Based on these biomarkers, we established a nomogram model capable of accurately discriminating between the two conditions.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study hold promise in providing valuable guidance to clinical practitioners for the differential diagnosis and early antimicrobial treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis.

Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis Following Nonspinal Cesarean Section

Pyogenic spondylodiscitis is an uncommon bacterial infection of the intervertebral disc and the vertebral endplates. It usually affects elderly patients with comorbidities but may be also seen after surgical procedures in young patients, mostly after spinal interventions and genitourinary procedures. This article describes a rare case of pyogenic spondylodiscitis in a young female patient after a cesarean section without spinal anesthesia. The patient presented with a three-month history of lower back pain, and the inflammatory markers were elevated. The magnetic resonance imaging showed the involvement of the L5-S1 disc space and the adjacent vertebral bodies. The diagnosis was confirmed with needle aspiration of purulent material. The patient was treated with antibiotics for a total of six weeks. After a follow-up of about one year, the patient showed slight degenerative vertebral changes with no signs of residual infection. This case highlights the importance of the early recognition of pyogenic spondylodiscitis as one cause of postoperative back pain after urogenital procedures, even without spinal anesthesia. Only a few similar cases were reported in the literature.