Demographic characteristics of patient cohort
| Variable | No (%) |
|---|---|
| Age (mean) (yr) | 63 ± 16 |
| Sex (M/F) | 41:31 |
| Immunosuppression | 33 (46) |
| Cancer | 8 (11) |
| COPD | 6 (8) |
| Cirrhosis | 3 (4) |
| Diabetes | 15 (21) |
| HIV | 4 (6) |
| Steroid use | 12 (17) |
| IV drug abuse | 9 (13) |
| Postoperative status (within 1 wk) | |
| Symptoms relevant to discitis | 0 (0) |
| Back pain | 72 (100) |
| Febrile | 25 (35) |
| Radiation | 12 (17) |
| Numbness/weakness | 10 (14) |
| Bowel or bladder incontinence | 3 (4) |
| Time to diagnosis (days)a | 55 (1–270) |
| Site of involvement | |
| Cervical | 3 (4) |
| Thoracic | 20 (28) |
| Lumbar | 49 (68) |
| Biopsy technique | |
| CT | 50 (69) |
| Fluoroscopy | 22 (31) |
| Either surgical pathology (+)/microbiology (+) | 29 (40) |
| Surgical pathology (+) | 24 (33) |
| Microbiology growth from tissue (+) | 12 (17) |
| Both | 7 (10) |
| Bacterial isolates from tissue culture | 12 |
| Staphylococci | 5 (42) |
| Streptococci | 3 (25) |
| Pseudomonas | 2 (17) |
| Klebsiella | 1 (8) |
| Mycobacteria | 1 (8) |
| Blood culture growth (+) | 2 (3) |
| Laboratory leukocyte count (cells/mm3)a | 8.0 (4.1–17.5) |
| CRP (mg/L)a | 46.4 (1–303) |
| ESR (mm/h)a | 59.3 (6–156) |
Note:—COPD indicates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
↵a Mean followed by range in parenthesis.