Infective spondylodiscitis in hemodialysis patients

Spondylodiscitis is a potentially catastrophic complication in patients on hemodialysis. It is slow and insidious onset and nonspecific symptoms have contributed to the late detection of this infectious process. Here, we reviewed the clinical characteristics and outcomes for patients on hemodialysis who developed spondylodiscitis who were diagnosed with spondylodiscitis.

From 2011 to 2021, 11 (0.4%) of 2557 patients on hemodialysis were diagnosed with spondylodiscitis based on clinical symptoms, patients averaged 56.9 years of age, seven were male, and they presented with fever in just two cases. The most frequent comorbidities included hypertension (ten patients) and diabetes mellitus (seven patients). Here, we reviewed the clinical, radiological (i.e., MR scans), laboratory markers, and treatment choices (i.e., nonsurgical vs. surgical) for these 11 hemodialysis patients.

Ten of the 11 patients underwent spinal surgery, and five were later readmitted for recurrent of infections. There was just one nonsurgical mortality.

For patients on hemodialysis, the new-onset of spinal pain may signal the onset of spondylodiscitis which should be rapidly diagnosed with MR studies and managed in a timely fashion either with antibiotic therapy and/or with surgery/antibiotics.