[Bacteriological-clinical association and characterization in Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis]

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Orthopedics
• Microbiology

Background:

• Pyogenic spondylodiscitis is a serious spinal infection.
• Identifying causative microorganisms is crucial for treatment.
• Clinical and laboratory findings can vary with pathogen type.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between clinical characteristics and laboratory findings with the type of microorganism isolated from blood cultures in patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed clinical records of 34 pyogenic spondylodiscitis patients from 2013-2017.
• Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, including Fisher's exact test, T-Student, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman correlation.
• Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Main Results:

• Gram-negative bacteria (67.6%) were more common than Gram-positive bacteria (32.4%), with Escherichia coli being the most frequent isolate (35.3%).
• Patients with Gram-negative infections reported milder pain and had lower median erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (26 mm/hr) compared to those with Gram-positive infections (severe pain, median ESR 38 mm/hr).
• A moderate correlation was found between ESR, pain, and Gram-negative infections (r=0.418, p=0.047), while a low correlation was observed in the Gram-positive group (r=0.228, p=0.507).

Conclusions:

• Significant clinical and statistical associations exist between the type of microorganism isolated in blood cultures and pain intensity (visual analog scale) and ESR levels.
• These findings highlight the importance of microbial identification in tailoring pyogenic spondylodiscitis management.