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Native vertebral osteomyelitis in aged patients: distinctive features. An observational cohort study

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Abstract

Purpose

To describe the demographic, clinical, and microbiological profile of native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) in aged patients as compared to that of younger patients, to identify differences that could motivate changes in clinical management.

Methods

Retrospective, observational cohort study (1990–2015) including all adult patients with microbiologically confirmed NVO divided into 2 groups: aged (≥ 65 years) vs younger (18–64 years).

Results

247 patients included, 138 aged and 109 younger. Relative to younger patients, the aged had higher rates of healthcare-related infection (40.6 vs 25.7%, p = 0.014), previous known heart valve disease (29.7 vs 9.2%, p < 0.001), and concomitant infective endocarditis (38.4 vs 20.2%, p = 0.002). The groups showed similar rates of symptomatic spinal cord compression (14.5 vs 11.9%, p = 0.556) and paraspinal abscesses (62.3 vs 68.8%, p = 0.288) at presentation. There was a trend to lower spine surgery rates in the aged (11.6 vs 17.4%, p = 0.192). On univariate analysis, Staphylococcus aureus infection was associated with higher in-hospital mortality in aged (29%, OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.61–11.45). In-hospital mortality was higher among the aged (14.5 vs 6.4%, p = 0.044) as well as relapse rate due to treatment failure (3.4 vs 1%, p = 0.377).

Conclusions

The findings underscore the importance of preventing healthcare-related infection and maintaining high clinical suspicion of infective endocarditis in aged NVO patients to implement proper management. S. aureus infection had a poorer prognosis in this population. As compared to younger patients, spinal surgery rates were slightly lower and overall prognosis poorer in the aged, despite similar rates of symptomatic spinal cord compression and abscesses at presentation.

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Acknowledgements

All authors had access to the data and a role in writing the manuscript. We thank Celine Cavallo for language support.

Funding

Supported by Plan Nacional de I+D+I 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0003)—co-financed by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, Operative program Intelligent Growth 2014–2020.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron, 119-129, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    Juan Aguilar-Company, Carles Pigrau, Nuria Fernández-Hidalgo, Dolors Rodríguez-Pardo, Vicenç Falcó & Benito Almirante

  2. Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD12/0015), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    Carles Pigrau, Nuria Fernández-Hidalgo, Dolors Rodríguez-Pardo, Mayli Lung & Benito Almirante

  3. Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Mayli Lung

  4. Spine Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Ferran Pellisé

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  1. Juan Aguilar-Company
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  2. Carles Pigrau
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Correspondence to Juan Aguilar-Company.

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Aguilar-Company, J., Pigrau, C., Fernández-Hidalgo, N. et al. Native vertebral osteomyelitis in aged patients: distinctive features. An observational cohort study. Infection 46, 679–686 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-018-1177-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-018-1177-6

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