The STAPH Score: A Predictor of Staphylococcus aureus as the Causative Microorganism of Native Vertebral...

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is the most common causative microorganism in native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO). Few studies have compared the clinical features of NVO due to SA (SA-NVO) and NVO due to other organisms (NSA-NVO). This study was conducted to validate a predictive score for SA-NVO to facilitate NVO treatment without broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents.

This retrospective study compared the clinical features of patients with SA-NVO and NSA-NVO who were diagnosed from 2004 to 2019. Univariate associations were assessed using χ ², Fisher's exact, or Mann-Whitney U test. Multivariable analysis was conducted using logistic regression. The optimal age cutoff point was determined by classification and regression tree analysis.

Among 155 NVO patients, 98 (63.2%) had a microbiologically confirmed diagnosis: 40 (25.8%) with SA-NVO and 58 (37.4%) with NSA-NVO. Six predictors, either independently associated with SA-NVO or clinically relevant, were used to develop the STAPH prediction score: atopic dermatitis (Skin) (3 points); recent Trauma (2 points); Age < 67 years (1 point); Abscess (1 point); central venous Port catheter (2 points); and History of puncture (2 points). In a receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve was 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.91). The best cutoff point was 3. A score ≥3 had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 58%, 84%, 84%, and 73%, respectively.

The STAPH score has relatively high specificity for use by clinicians to predict SA as the causative microorganism in patients with NVO until results of a confirmatory culture are available.