Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35657387›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society2022

Spinal infection with intraspinal abscess or empyema and acute myelopathy: comparative analysis of diagnostics, therapy, complications and outcome in primary care.

Martin Kreutzträger, Tom Lübstorf, Axel Ekkernkamp, Christian Blex, Jan M Schwab, Marcel A Kopp, Thomas Auhuber, Grit Wüstner, Thomas Liebscher

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. When infection becomes architecture: structural predictors of surgical management in spondylodiscitis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Martin KreutzträgerTreatment Centre for Spinal Cord Injuries, BG Hospital Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Trauma Hospital Berlin, Warener Straße 7, 12683, Berlin, Germany. martin@kreutztraeger.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7491-2278
Tom LübstorfDepartment of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Spinal Cord Injury Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Axel EkkernkampTrauma Surgery and Orthopedics Clinic, BG Hospital Unfallkrankenhaus, Berlin, Germany.
Christian BlexDepartment of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Spinal Cord Injury Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Jan M SchwabDepartment of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Spinal Cord Injury Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Marcel A KoppDepartment of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Spinal Cord Injury Research, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Thomas AuhuberMedical Management, Trauma Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Grit WüstnerBG Hospital Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Thomas LiebscherTreatment Centre for Spinal Cord Injuries, BG Hospital Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Trauma Hospital Berlin, Warener Straße 7, 12683, Berlin, Germany.
Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin · DECharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin · DEBerlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin · DEMSB Medical School Berlin · DEThe Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThis study on pyogenic spinal infections with intraspinal epidural involvement (PSI +) compared the outcome of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) to those without (noSCI) taking diagnostic algorithm, therapy, and complications into account.

methodsPatients were enrolled in an ambispective study (2012-2017). Diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms, complications, and neurological outcome were analyzed descriptively. Survival was analyzed applying Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression.

resultsIn total, 134 patients with a median (IQR) age of 72 (61-79) years were analyzed. Baseline characteristics were similar between the SCI (n = 55) and noSCI (n = 79). A higher percentage of endocarditis (9% vs. 0%; p = 0.03) was detected in the noSCI group. The majority (81%) received combinatorial therapy including spinal surgery and antibiotic treatment. The surgery complication rate was 16%. At discharge, improvement in neurologic function was present in 27% of the SCI patients. Length of stay, duration of ventilation and the burden of disease-associated complications were significantly higher in the SCI group (e.g., urinary tract infection, pressure ulcers). Lethality risk factors were age (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.16, p = 0.014), and empyema/abscess extension (≥ 3 infected spinal segments, HR 4.72, 95% CI 1.57-14.20, p = 0.006), dominating over additional effects of Charlson comorbidity index, SCI, and type of treatment. The overall lethality rate was 11%.

conclusionPSI + are associated with higher in-hospital mortality, particularly when multiple spinal segments are involved. However, survival is similar with (SCI) or without myelopathy (noSCI). If SCI develops, the rate of disease complications is higher and early specialized SCI care might be substantial to reduce complication rates.

Indexed as

EmpyemaSpinal Cord InjuriesAbscessAgedHumansPrimary Health CareRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAcute spinal cord injuryIntra-spinal abscessIntra-spinal empyemaSpinal surgerySpondylodiscitisTreatment costs

Identifiers

PMID35657387
PMCPMC9712376
OpenAlexW4281711633

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.