Are sinus-track cultures reliable for identifying the causative agent in chronic osteomyelitis?
OBJECTIVE
The infection of bone that contains bone marrow called osteomyelitis, and is caused by different microorganisms. In this study, we aimed to determine the diagnostic value and accuracy of cultures of material from a sinus track compared with those of cultures of bone specimens that have been controversial.


METHODS
Prospective study was conducted at Hospital University of Dicle, a 1,090-bed university-based hospital located in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Between May 2005 and September 2006, sinus-track cultures were compared with those of bone cultures from 43 patients with chronic osteomyelitis.


RESULTS
The patients' mean age was 30.6 +/- 3.6 years, and 29 (67%) male and 14 (33%) female. Organisms isolated from bone cultures were Staphylococcus 69% (29/42), Escherichia coli 9.5% (4/42), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 9.5% (4/42), Proteus mirabilis 7% (3/42), respectively. Cultures of sinus track and bone specimens gave identical results in 38% of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The value of bone culture in the therapy of osteomyelitis must be emphasized; it is the only reliable means of determining the responsible agent, up on which the antibiotic therapy is based. The correlation between sinus track and bone cultures was 38%, i.e., failure in the treatment for 6 patients out of 10.
Ulug
Mehmet
M
Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinic Microbiology, BSK Anadolu Hospital, Kutahya, Turkey. mehmetulug21@yahoo.com
Ayaz
Celal
C
Celen
Mustafa Kemal
MK
Geyik
Mehmet Faruk
MF
Hosoglu
Salih
S
Necmioglu
Serdar
S
D000328:Adult; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000382:microbiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies