Osteo-articular infections by Kingella kingae in children in a highly complex pediatric hospital: epidemiology and associated factors

BACKGROUNDThe epidemiology of osteoarticular infections (IOA) has changed in recent years. The incidence of Kingella kingae in Latin America is unknown. AIMSTo describe the epidemiology in patients with IOA in a children hospital. To estimate the incidence of IOA due to K. kingae and compare with other etiologies. METHODSProspective cohort. Patients older than 1 month hospitalized between March, 1th 2017 and February, 28th 2019 with suspected IOA and diagnostic procedure (biopsy or arthrocentesis) were included. STATA 13 was used. RESULTSn: 84 patients. The etiology was identified in 58 patients (69.1%). Staphylococus aureus predominated (n: 44; 52.4%) and K. kingae (n: 9; 10.8%). In the period studied, the incidence of IOA by K. kingae was 10.8 cases per 100 hospitalized IOA. In multivariate analysis, age less than 4 years (OR 13.8, 95% CI 5.5-82.7), recent respiratory symptoms (OR 5.7, 95% CI 3.5-31.6, p 0.04) and normalization before the fifth day of C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR 3.38 95% CI 1.8-16.3, p 0.01) were associated with IOA by K. kingae. CONCLUSIONSIn this cohort of children the incidence of K. kingae was 10.8 cases per 100 IOA. Kingella kingae represented the second documented etiology, after S. aureus. Age under 4 years, recent respiratory symptoms and normalization before the fifth day of quantitative CRP were statistically associated with IOA by K. kingae.