Is switching to an oral antibiotic regimen safe after 2 weeks of intravenous treatment for primary bacterial vertebral osteomyelitis?

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study population (n = 61)

Characteristic		All patients
		n*	%*
Males		37	61
Median age, IQR		65	51–76
Median BMI, IQR		25	21–28
Arterial hypertension		24	39
Diabetes mellitus		7	11
Coronary heart disease		15	25
Renal impairment (clearance <80 ml/min.)		5	8
Fever (>38°C)		17	28
Back pain		57	93
Neurologic al deficits		10	16
Epidural abscess		31	51
Median leucocytes count, IQR (10⁹/l)		10.1	8.0–12.5
Median C-reactive protein (mg/l)		100	62–186
Microorganism	Staphylococcus aureus	11	21
	Coagulase negative staphylococci	9	17
	Streptococci spp.	12	20
	Escherichia coli	6	11
	Klebsiella spp.	2	4
	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	7	13
	Propionibacterium acnes	3	6
	Other or unknown	11	21

ISSN: 1471-2334