Hematogenous Osteomyelitis in Children

Sohn, Sung Keun; Park, Seung Rim; Park, Chang Il; Lee, Young Sik

Abstract

After the discovery of penicillin by Fleming in 1939, a great improvement in the treatment of osteomyelitis was obtained and the mortality rate in the acute stage was markedly decreased. But, because of misuse of antibiotics, the resistance of causative organism to antibiotics and the incidence of this disease tended to increase. So, many problems in the treatment and prognosis developed. A clinical study was done of 76 cases of hematogenous osteomyelitis who were treated by authors at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Presbyterian Medical Center, from April 1974 to July 1981. The results were as follows: 1. The incidence in males was 1.2 times greater than in females. It occured most often in children between the ages of 11 and 15 years (58%). The most common site of involvement was the tibia and the femur in orders. 2. ESR was elevated in 77% of the patients. 3. The most common causative organism was staphylococcus aureus(+), and the penicillin resistance rate was 86%. 4. The basic management was early decompression and antibiotic administration in acute phase, and saucerization and continuous irrigation in chronic cases. 5. The recurrence was the most common complication.