Clinical Outcome and Antibiotic Dosing Differences by Weight in Children With Acute Osteomyelitis

To evaluate for weight-based differences in clinical outcomes and antibiotic dosing variability for children hospitalized with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO).

We performed a retrospective cohort study of children aged 2 to 17 years and hospitalized with a primary AHO International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision or International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision diagnosis code between 2010 and 2017 using the Cerner Health Facts database. Weight categories (healthy, overweight, obesity) were determined by using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles. Rates of procedures, complications, and length of stay (LOS) were compared between groups. Dosing variability between groups was assessed by comparing the initial milligrams per kilogram per day of prescribed antibiotics.

We identified 755 children with AHO for inclusion. Children with overweight and obesity were more likely to undergo surgical procedures (19% and 17%, respectively) compared with children with a healthy weight (10%; P = .009). They also had a longer LOS (5.7 and 5.8 days) than children with a healthy weight (4.9 days; P = .03). There were no differences in complication rates between weight categories. Mean weight-adjusted daily dose for the most frequently prescribed antibiotics was different by weight category, with children in higher weight categories more likely to receive lower weight-based doses.

Children with overweight and obesity hospitalized for AHO were more likely to undergo procedures, have longer LOS, and receive lower weight-based antibiotic dosing compared with children with a healthy weight. Our findings suggest that weight should be carefully considered when treating children with AHO.