title: Consensus in diagnostic definitions for bone or joint infections in children by a Delphi method with European French-speaking experts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various diagnostic criteria have been proposed for bone or joint infection. This study used a Delphi process to determine the consensual definitions for arthritis, osteomyelitis and bone or joint infections in general in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of European French-speaking experts participated in an email Delphi process. Definitions were identified during a systematic search of the PubMed database. Five definitions of arthritis, eight for osteomyelitis and five for bone or joint infections in general were included in a three-round process. We sought two sorts of definitions: definitions for 'definitive' diagnoses for epidemiological studies and definitions for 'probable' diagnoses for clinical or therapeutic studies, considering enlarged criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten experts were involved in the Delphi process. A consensus was reached for a definitive diagnosis of arthritis, osteomyelitis and bone or joint infections in general. A consensus was also reached for a probable diagnosis of bone or joint infections in general.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This Delphi process made consensus definitions and criteria available for bone or joint infections that could improve the comparability of both epidemiological and clinical studies. This is a first step to standardise diagnostic criteria and distinguish definitive and probable bone or joint infections in children.
authors.affiliation: University Lille-Nord de France, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Ayoub
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitha
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulyana
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hue
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pruvost
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinot
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dubos
mesh_terms: D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001530:Belgium; D001850:Bone Diseases, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003697:Delphi Technique; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D013557:Switzerland