title: Acute haematogenous osteomyelitis: microbial conversion and unusual age presentation.
abstract: From 1983 to 1989, 110 cases of haematogenous osteomyelitis were studied retrospectively. The most commonly affected were children under 1 year. No adult cases were reported. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 72.7% of cases. During 1992-1997, 80 cases were studied prospectively. The most commonly affected were children aged 9 years. This group included 19 adults. S. aureus was isolated from 43.7% of the cases. There was a clear difference in the incidence of S. aureus and age presentation in the cases before and after the Gulf conflict. Working children and malnutrition might have caused changes in the infecting organisms and age presentation in recent years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Basra, Basra, Iraq.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Mousa
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Abaid
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D014857:Warfare