Postoperative spondylodiscitis in patients from Las Tunas

Abstract

Background: the incidence of septic discitis after a minimally invasive or conventional surgery is a rare complication, but devastating due to its important sequelae. Its diagnosis is often erroneous or delayed, due to errors in the interpretation of symptoms and the physical examination.Objective: to describe post-surgical discitis in patients attended to at the "Dr. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna" General Teaching Hospital of Las Tunas, from January 2005 to January 2016.Methods: a descriptive and prospective observational study was carried out in the aforementioned hospital and during the period of time herein declared. The sample consisted of 39 patients admitted with a diagnosis of postoperative discitis. The data were processed by means of descriptive statistics, using the percentage value to report the results.Results: post-surgical discitis predominated in females, in those older than 50 years of age and the most frequent location was the lumbar spine. C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and evidence in magnetic resonance imaging were the most positive diagnostic tests. Threw was a prevalence of conservative treatment, as well as the use of vancomycin with ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin and the combination of parenteral and oral routes.Conclusions: aspects of post-surgical discitis in the sample of patients included during the eleven years of the study were described.

Keywords

• discitis
• intervertebral disc
• osteomyelitis
• spinal infection