[Osteomyelitis in the newborn]

The study included 17 cases of osteomyelitis in the newborn period, admitted through a period of 10 years. Males showed a rate of 1.8:1 over females. The possible port of entry was established in 11 cases. The most important clinical signs were: edema, erythema, hypomotility and fluctuation. In one third of the cases, systemic infection signs were eident and in 4 cases, confirmation resulted from blood cultures positive to gram-negative germs. The germ most frequently isolated in the secretion was S. aureus, followed by Klebsiella. The analysis included the pathogenesis that explains the high percentage of articular participation (65%) and the presence of multiple foci which, together with other characteristics, make osteomyelitis at this age, different from that seen during other stages of life in terms of diagnosis, management and prognosis.