Bacteriological aspects of osteitis in a university hospital

Introduction: The aim, of our retrospective study, was to determine the epidemiological and susceptibility profile of bacterial osteitis isolates in the Rabat Mohammed V Military Hospital, to optimize the probabilistic antibiotherapy. Materials and methods: A study was made from August 2004 to December 2005. All the positive specimen for the etiologic diagnosis of osteitis and osteoarthritis were included. Results: During this period, 85 osteitis cases were documented. 123 isolates were collected. 31 cases of osteitis allowed for the isolation of at least 2 bacteria (36.5%). The Gram positive cocci rate was 54.5%, the Gram negative bacilli rate 39.8%, and the Gram positive bacilli rate 5.7%. The distribution by groups was staphylococcus spp 46.4%, enterobacteriaceae 25.2% and non-fermenting Gram negative bacilli 12.9%. The most frequently isolated species were Staphylococcus aureus (23,6%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.9%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.7%). All the S. aureus isolates were susceptible to oxacillin and 30.8% of the coagulase negative staphylococci were resistant. The enterobacteriaceae resistance rates were 64.5% for clavulanic acid-amoxicillin and 16% for third generation cephalosporin and ciprofloxacin. The non-fermenting Gram negative bacilli resistance rate was 37.5% for ceftazidim, 62.5% for ticarcillin, and 12.5% for imipenem. Conclusion: Our results show the potential efficient therapy for community osteitis, using the traditional association: methicillin-aminosides and oral relay with fluoroquinolones. In nosocomial osteitis, the antibiotherapy must be modulated according to the identification and an antibiogram. © 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.