Pediatric Musculoskeletal Infections

Abstract

Pediatric populations are prone to infections and most can be managed appropriately in a primary care setting. There are, however, some infectious processes that require intervention or management from an orthopedic surgeon. The most serious infectious processes in the pediatric population from an orthopedic standpoint are osteomyelitis and septic arthritis. Early recognition of these conditions and prompt referral of serious infections, as well as the ability to differentiate which infections should be referred for specialist evaluation is critical.

Keywords: Bone; Infection; Joint; Osteomyelitis; Soft tissue.