THE RATIONAL TREATMENT OF ACUTE HEMATOGENOUS OSTEOMYELITIS

The clinical picture and laboratory observations in acute hematogenous osteomyelitis are so well known to the average physician that a discussion of the diagnosis in this paper is not warranted. However, in a large percentage of the cases the diagnosis is not made until late in the disease. This is because the general practitioners and pediatricians who see the early cases are not osteomyelitis conscious. Consequently I would like to emphasize the facts that when a child suddenly becomes ill with fever and presents evidence of pain, disability and localized deep tenderness in an extremity osteomyelitis should be considered, and a negative x-ray examination does not rule out this disease.

This paper is presented because the disease is relatively frequent and not only carries a high mortality but usually causes prolonged illness in many of those who survive the acute attack and is an important factor in the production of