New research suggests a new method for identifying children at risk for bone and joint infection by looking for the Kingella kingae bacteria in their throats. Study authors examined 65 children admitted to hospitals in Canada and Switzerland with joint or bone infection, and found that 70% of them also carried the bacteria in their throat, while K. kingae in healthy children is very rare. K. kingae is by far the most common pathogen in bone and joint infections, which makes it highly useful for efficient diagnosis and early detection. Study authors note that due to the small size of the present study, further research in other North American cities is needed.
Authors:
Jocelyn Gravel, MD MSc, Dimitri Ceroni, MD, Laurence Lacroix, MD, Christian Renaud, MD, Guy Grimard, MD, Eleftheria Samara, MD, Abdessalam Cherkaoui, PhD, Gesuele Renzi, MS, Jacques Schrenzel, MD, Sergio Manzano, MD
Corresponding author:
Jocelyn Gravel, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, QC, Email: graveljocelyn@hotmail.com
Original paper published in CMAJ on September 5, 2017.
