The Infectious Diseases Society of America has published the first U.S. guidelines on vertebral osteomyelitis, a spine infection that is sometimes misdiagnosed and mistreated by physicians and can lead to paralysis or death.
Vertebral osteomyelitis is relatively uncommon and is frequently overlooked because it causes back pain, which can be triggered by a pulled muscle or spine injury, according to Elie F. Berbari, MD, lead author of the guidelines and associate chair of education for the division of infectious disease at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn.
"Back pain is so common — and usually not caused by infection — that diagnosis often is missed or delayed," said Dr. Berbari. "The infection causes severe pain that often wakes the person at night and does not go away after pain management or rest. If that's the case, the doctor needs to start considering that something else is going on, especially if the patient has a fever."
To address the often overlooked condition, an 11-member panel comprised of a variety of specialists — including infectious diseases physicians, an orthopedic surgeon and a radiologist — created the IDSA treatment guidelines.
According to an IDSA news release, the voluntary guidelines are not meant to replace a physician's judgment, but rather to support the individualized decision-making process in each patient's circumstances.
To read the full guidelines on vertebral osteomyelitis in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, click here.
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