Osteomyelitis in Polynesian children.

Polynesians, including New Zealand Maori, are known to be prone to bacterial infections. We studied 85 New Zealand children with osteomyelitis requiring admission in a tertiary care hospital in a 2-year period in order to attain information regarding incidence and relative risk. During the observation period, the hospital was responsible for the healthcare of a total population of 103,900 children per annum. An increased relative risk of Polynesian and Maori children to suffer from osteomyelitis was calculated to be 3.84. The major pathogenic organism was Staphylococcus aureus. Complications such as extension to adjacent joints or sepsis were a rather rare occurrence. Further research is required to identify whether genetic predisposition or social and environmental circumstances are involved in this phenomenon.