Baseline characteristics of 103 patients with acute haematogenous osteomyelitis and no primary surgical treatment, segregated based on the initial intravenous antimicrobial treatment
| FT (n=23) | FT+ (n=47) | NFT (n=33) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | Mean | Median | Range | n | % | Mean | Median | Range | n | % | Mean | Median | Range | n | % |
| *FT+ v FT or NFT, p<0.001. | |||||||||||||||
| †FT v NFT, p=0.048. | |||||||||||||||
| Demographics | |||||||||||||||
| Age (years) | 7.0 | 7.5 | 0.08–15 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 0.08–15.5 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 0.08–14.9 | ||||||
| <2 years | 5 | 22% | 11 | 23% | 7 | 21% | |||||||||
| ⩾2 years | 18 | 78% | 36 | 77% | 26 | 79% | |||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||||
| Male | 15 | 65% | 29 | 62% | 19 | 58% | |||||||||
| Female | 8 | 35% | 18 | 43% | 14 | 42% | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||
| Duration of symptoms (days) | 5 | 5 | 1–14 | 6 | 5 | 1–14 | 5 | 4 | 1–10 | ||||||
| Closed trauma | 4 | 17% | 15 | 11% | 5 | 15% | |||||||||
| Infection | 8 | 35% | 18 | 38% | 16 | 48% | |||||||||
| Trauma and infection | 1 | 4% | 2 | 4% | 1 | 3% | |||||||||
| Affected bones | |||||||||||||||
| Lower limbs | 10 | 43% | 43* | 91% | 19 | 58% | |||||||||
| Clavicle, sternum, spine, pelvis | 3 | 13% | 5 | 11% | 8 | 24% | |||||||||
| Upper limbs | 5 | 22% | 7 | 15% | 7 | 21% | |||||||||
| Multiple | 5 | 22% | 6 | 13% | 3 | 9% | |||||||||
| Clinical signs and symptoms on admission | |||||||||||||||
| Body temperature (°C) | 37.5† | 37.5 | 36.5–39.5 | 23 | 37.9 | 37.7 | 36.5–40.1 | 44 | 38.1† | 38.1 | 36.5–40.1 | 31 | |||
| Erythema | 4 | 17% | 13 | 28% | 10 | 30% | |||||||||
| Swelling | 13 | 57% | 26 | 55% | 18 | 55% | |||||||||
| Tenderness | 12 | 52% | 29 | 62% | 20 | 61% | |||||||||
| Warmth | 12 | 52% | 22 | 47% | 13 | 39% | |||||||||
| Sparing | 3 | 13% | 7 | 15% | 8 | 24% | |||||||||
| Limping | 5 | 22% | 11 | 23% | 11 | 33% | |||||||||
| Refusal to walk | 3 | 13% | 8 | 17% | 2 | 6% | |||||||||
| Decreased joint motility | 8 | 35% | 16 | 34% | 16 | 48% | |||||||||
| Laboratory parameters | |||||||||||||||
| C reactive protein (mg/l) | 44.0 | 37.0 | 1–117 | 18 | 59.0 | 25.0 | 1–360 | 41 | 62.0 | 33.0 | 1–270 | 27 | |||
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/h) | 55.0 | 56.5 | 12–116 | 22 | 49.0 | 46.5 | 3–190 | 40 | 46.0 | 40.5 | 7–138 | ||||
| White cell blood count (G/l) | 10.0 | 9.7 | 6.5–19.7 | 20 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 4.2–31 | 43 | 12.0 | 11.2 | 4–37 | 31 | |||