Antibiotics in the management of acute haematogenous osteomyelitis and acute spetic arthritis in infancy and childhood.

The introduction of antibiotic therapy has changed the natural history of acute haematogenous osteomyelitis and acute septic arthritis. Early diagnosis and early effective treatment are the means of preventing the devastating sequelae which can occur. Although several different organisms can cause these conditions, the most appropriate antibiotics to exhibit before bacteriological proof of diagnosis is established can be deduced from a study of their historical microbiology. This paper reports such a study and makes recommendations regarding antibiotic treatment.