BACKGROUND: The acutely limping child presents a significant diagnostic challenge. AIM: The purpose of this study was to create a clinically useful algorithm to allow exclusion of 'musculoskeletal sepsis' as a differential diagnosis in the child presenting with limp. METHODS: Data were collected on all 286 limping children admitted to our centre over a 3-year-period. Using logistic regression analysis, the predictive model was constructed, to exclude infection. RESULTS: Duration of symptoms, constitutional symptoms, temperature, white cell count and ESR were significantly different in children with musculoskeletal infection (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that when all three variables of duration of symptoms >1, <5 days; temperature >37.0 degrees C; and ESR >35 mm/h were present, the predicted probability of infection was 0.66, falling to 0.01 when none were present. CONCLUSION: This multivariate model enables us to rule out musculoskeletal infection with 99% certainty in limping children with none of these three presenting variables.
BACKGROUND: The acutely limping child presents a significant diagnostic challenge. AIM: The purpose of this study was to create a clinically useful algorithm to allow exclusion of 'musculoskeletal sepsis' as a differential diagnosis in the child presenting with limp. METHODS: Data were collected on all 286 limping children admitted to our centre over a 3-year-period. Using logistic regression analysis, the predictive model was constructed, to exclude infection. RESULTS: Duration of symptoms, constitutional symptoms, temperature, white cell count and ESR were significantly different in children with musculoskeletal infection (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that when all three variables of duration of symptoms >1, <5 days; temperature >37.0 degrees C; and ESR >35 mm/h were present, the predicted probability of infection was 0.66, falling to 0.01 when none were present. CONCLUSION: This multivariate model enables us to rule out musculoskeletal infection with 99% certainty in limping children with none of these three presenting variables.
Authors: Mininder S Kocher; Rahul Mandiga; David Zurakowski; Carol Barnewolt; James R Kasser Journal: J Bone Joint Surg Am Date: 2004-08 Impact factor: 5.284
Authors: Scott J Luhmann; Angela Jones; Mario Schootman; J Eric Gordon; Perry L Schoenecker; Jan D Luhmann Journal: J Bone Joint Surg Am Date: 2004-05 Impact factor: 5.284