Acute hematogenous staphylococcal osteomyelitis: evaluation of cloxacillin therapy in an animal model.

A reproducible avian model of acute hematogenous staphylococcal osteomyelitis was used to investigate various aspects of antibiotic therapy using a single antibiotic, cloxacillin. The effects of both delaying antibiotic administration and increasing the frequency of antibiotic administration on the outcome of the disease were evaluated. Following bacterial inoculation, a delay in commencing therapy for 4 d in comparison to 1 d significantly reduced the likelihood of a favourable outcome. An increase in the frequency of antibiotic administration from once to 4 times daily resulted in significant improvement in the recovery rate of chickens. Whilst repeated antibiotic administration controlled the systemic effects of the disease and improved the clinical status of chickens, the local bone lesion was not always sterilized. The role of antibiotic therapy in acute hematogenous osteomyelitis is discussed in relation to these findings.