Management of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in children

Abstract

In children, osteomyelitis is primarily hematogenous in origin and acute in nature. The principal cause of osteomyelitis in children is Staphylococcus aureus, and both the epidemiology and pathogenesis of S. aureus infections, including osteomyelitis, have changed in recent years owing to the emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus. This review focuses on advances in the diagnosis and overall management of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in children with these changes in mind.

Keywords::

• acute hematogenous osteomyelitis
• AHO
• antibiotic therapy
• CA-MRSA
• children
• community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• diagnostic imaging
• osteomyelitis
• Staphylococcus aureus

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors receive funding from the NIH (RO1-AI043356, RO1-AI069087 and RO1-AI074007) and from Cubist Pharmaceuticals. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.