"Neonatal septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. Evaluation of risk factors "

Abstract

Neonatal septic arthritis and osteomyelitis is not prevalent in first month of the life in new borne children. According to anatomic specifications of bones in this period, the manifestation of disease is different from other periods of life and the disability induced, will be serious and permanent. In this investigation, 31 infants with the diagnosis of septic arthritis and osteomyelitis were studied during 10 years. Hyperbilirubinemia (58.1 percent), emergency cesarean (25.8 percent), umbilical vessel catheterization (26.6 percent), permaturity (12.9 percent), perinatal asphyxia (9.7 percent), scalp laceration (6.5 percent), omphalitis & previous bone fracture (6.5 percent) were the most common findings among predisposing factors. Previous hospital admission was detected in 19 patients (67.3 percent) and multiple bone involvements demonstrated in 12 (38.7 percent). From those who had risk factors, 42.3 percent had multiple bone lesions. Only 5 patients (16.12 percent) had no predisposing factors. The mean age for diagnosis and seeking admission were 23 and 30 days respectively and the mean age of diagnosis at surgery was over 72 hours in 15 (48.38 percent) cases. All with delaying in requesting admission had destructive changes in their joints. Knee and hip were most involved (77.3 percent). The most common microorganisms found in this study were staphylococcus aureus and klebsiella. Of all, 47 percent were gram negative & 53 percent gram positive microorganisms. Existence of risk factors and previous hospital admission in the majority of cases accompanied by microorganisms such as methiciline resistant S.aureus and klebsiella as a causative agents who were also resistant to empirical antibiotics demonstrated the role of nosocomial infections as an important cause of infection.

Keywords

• Neonatal septic arthritis and osteomyelitis