DOI: 10.1097/01.BONEJ.0000363413.21987.35

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Issn Print: 1938-8659

Publication Date: 2009/11/01


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Pharmacological Approaches to Treating Children With Osteomyelitis

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In an article in Orthopedics, Amanda Geist, PharmD, and Robert Kuhn, PharmD, of the University of Kentucky Healthcare in Lexington discuss some of the current issues related to treating pediatric patients with osteomyelitis. (See Geist and Kuhn, 2009.) In particular, Geist and Kuhn address approaches toward treating osteomyelitis caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA).
Osteomyelitis, or inflammation of the bone, is usually caused by bacterial infection. “Bone infections in children are primarily hematogenous in origin, although cases secondary to penetrating trauma, surgery, or infection in a contiguous site are also reported,” notes Sabah Kalyoasset, DO, of the department of pediatrics at Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey (See Kalyoasset, 2008.) Approximately 50% of cases occur in preschool-aged children.
According to Geist and Kuhn, several pathogens may be involved in pediatric osteomyelitis, depending on the patient's age and type of osteomyelitis involved. They note that the most common pathogens for children of any age are: S. aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, while Kingella kingae and Streptococcus pneumoniae are more common in younger children. Yet, CA-MRSA is increasingly associated with osteomyelitis and is the most common cause in many regions.

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