Bugs and bones: a study of 25 cases of infectious spondylodiscitis (original) (raw)

Background: Infectious spondylodiscitis (IS) is an illness that presents a diagnostic dilemma. It is often associated with significant neurological morbidity, hence early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. As only a few Indian studies have dealt with IS, our study analyses the unique clinico-epidemiological profile of this disease in India and assesses the current management trends and outcome in these patients.Methods: A retrospective study of 25 cases of microbiologically confirmed IS in a single unit at a tertiary care hospital over an 18-month period (January 2018 to June 2019).Results: A total of 25 cases of IS were considered with a mean age of 49 years. Among the cases of non-tubercular spondylodiscitis (NTS), the organisms isolated were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Brucella, Escherichia coli and Citrobacter. The average time taken from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 3 months in tubercular spondylodiscitis (TS) cases and 5 months in NTS cases. Neur...