The recent bacterial etiology of childhood osteoarticular infections focusing on the vaccine initiation for and : A single-center retrospective analysis in Japan.

BACKGROUND

Pediatric acute osteomyelitis and septic arthritis can destroy growth plate cartilage and joint cartilage, causing permanent deformities and growth disorders. Preventing the contraction of osteoarticular infections is important. Various types of bacteria cause osteoarticular infections in children. Since 2013, when routine vaccination against and was initiated in Japan, diseases caused by these bacteria (other than osteoarticular infection) are reported to decrease. In this study, we aimed to re-confirm the actual situation including the presence of pathogenic bacteria of pediatric bone and joint infections.

METHODS

The subjects were patients of 15 years old or younger who had been diagnosed with acute osteomyelitis or septic arthritis and received initial treatment in our hospital from April 1995 to March 2019. We obtained information from the medical records and analyzed them statistically.

RESULTS

There were 65 patients with 65 bones with acute osteomyelitis, and 120 patients with 124 joints with septic arthritis. The pathogenic bacteria were identified in 26 (40.0%) osteomyelitis patients and 59 (49.2%) septic arthritis patients. was the most common pathogenic bacterium, and and were identified in four and seven patients respectively, frequently in younger patients. After routine vaccination against and , these bacteria were no longer detected in patients under five years old.

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of the and vaccine against orthopedic infectious diseases in Japan was indicated.