Impact of Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on Pyogenic Vertebral Osteomyelitis: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective . Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO) are frequently misdiagnosed and patients often receive anti-inflammatory drugs for their back pain. We studied the impact of these medications. Methods . We performed a prospective study enrolling patients with PVO and categorized them depending on their drugs intake. Then, we compared diagnosis delay, clinical presentation at hospitalization, incidence of complications, and cure rate. Results . In total, 79 patients were included. Multivariate analysis found no correlation between anti-inflammatory drug intake and diagnosis delay, clinical presentation, complications, or outcome. Conclusion . Anti-inflammatory drugs intake does not affect diagnostic delay, severity at diagnosis, or complications of PVO.