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• Bone & Joint Infections

  • Important because of their potential to cause permanent disability
  • The frequency of skeletal infections is greater in infants & toddlers than in older children
  • The risk is greatest if the physis (the growth plate of bone) is damaged
• Pathogens

  Bacteria are the most common
• Staphylococcus aureus

  Most common microorganism in any type of osteomyelitis
• Coagulase-negative staphylococci or Propionibacterium spp.

  Frequent microorganism in foreign body–associated infection
• Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida spp.

  Common in nosocomial infections
• Streptococci and/or anaerobic bacteria


  Associated with bites, diabetic foot lesions, and decubitus ulcers
• Salmonella spp, S. aureus, S. pneumoniae

  Sickle cell disease
• Bartonella henselae or Bartonella quintana


  HIV infection
• Pasteurella multocida or Eikenella corrodens


  Human or animal bites
• Aspergillus spp., Candida albicans, or Mycobacteria spp.

  Immunocompromised patients
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis


  Populations in which tuberculosis is prevalent
• Brucella spp., Coxiella burnetii, fungi found in specific geographic areas (coccidiodomycosis, blastomycosis, histoplasmosis)

  Populations in which these pathogens are endemic
• Bacteremia in young children


  Sluggish metaphyseal blood flow provides an ideal environment for bacterial seeding
• Sluggish metaphyseal blood flow

  Rupture through periosteum
• List risk factors of meningitis
• What are acute complication of meningitis
• What is the difference between osteomyelitis and septic arteritis