title: Pediatric osteomyelitis in Panama.
abstract: Two hundred forty-one children who had osteomyelitis during a 19-year period, 1974 through 1992, were identified by chart review. Acute osteomyelitis or chronic osteomyelitis was the diagnosis for 221 (92%) and 20 (8%) of the children, respectively. Bacteriologic etiology was documented in 137 (57%) of the cases. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella species organisms, and Haemophilus influenzae type b were isolated from 97 (40%), 10 (4%), 8 (3%), and 7 (3%) of the children, respectively. S. aureus was the predominant microorganism in all age groups, whereas H. influenzae occurred only in children younger than 2 years of age. P. aeruginosa was recovered predominantly from children with a penetrating injury of the foot, while salmonella bone infections were diagnosed in patients with sickle cell disease. These data provide guidelines for the initial work-up for and management of osteomyelitis in children living in developing Latin American countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital del Niño, Panama City, Panama.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sáez-Llorens
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velarde
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cantón
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D010176:Panama / Q000453:epidemiology