Application of NGS Technology in Osteomyelitis Caused by Human Bites
Abstract
Osteomyelitis caused by human bites is a severe and complex polymicrobial infection that is often complicated by delayed diagnosis and the high false-negative rate of conventional cultures. This case series retrospectively analyzed four cases of human bite-induced osteomyelitis to evaluate the clinical utility of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the diagnosis of complex infections. Conventional intraoperative bacterial cultures were negative in two of the four cases, limiting pathogen-directed antimicrobial therapy. In contrast, NGS identified microbial organisms in all four patients and revealed polymicrobial profiles in several cases, including fastidious oral flora and obligate anaerobes that were not detected by conventional culture, such as Prevotella, Bacteroides, and Porphyromonas species, as well as Treponema denticola. All four patients achieved satisfactory wound healing without radiological evidence of recurrence, regained full range of motion, and returned to normal daily activities during follow-up. These findings support the potential value of NGS as an adjunctive diagnostic tool for identifying difficult-to-culture pathogens and providing additional microbiological information to support clinical decision-making in complex osteomyelitis.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Ferulic acid regulates the AKT/GSK-3β/CRMP-2 signaling pathway in a middle cerebral artery occlusion animal model
- Novel Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Parameters Quantify the Exposure–Effect Relationship of Levofloxacin against Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli
- Photochemical behavior of levofloxacin
- Correlation Between Dissolution Profiles of Salt-Form Drugs in Biorelevant Bicarbonate Buffer and Oral Drug Absorption: Importance of Dose/ Fluid Volume Ratio
- Evaluation of the synergistic potential and mechanisms of action for de novo designed cationic antimicrobial peptides
- Synthesis of [11C]levofloxacin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.