A Clinical Prediction Tool for MRI in Emergency Department Patients with Spinal Infection.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Patients with pyogenic spinal Infection (PSI) are often not diagnosed at their initial presentation, and diagnostic delay is associated with increased morbidity and medical-legal risk. We derived a decision tool to estimate the risk of spinal infection and inform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) decisions.

Methods

We conducted a two-part prospective observational cohort study that collected variables from spine pain patients over a six-year derivation phase. We fit a multivariable regression model with logistic coefficients rounded to the nearest integer and used them for variable weighting in the final risk score. This score, SIRCH (spine infection risk calculation heuristic), uses four clinical variables to predict PSI. We calculated the statistical performanc

SUBMITTER: Shroyer SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8463051 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature