I have had cronic vertebral osteomyelitis since 6-02 and formally dx in 9-02 resulting from Discogram. My bacteria is very rare and ID docs don't know what antibiotic to use. I am currently off antibiotics for 2 mo. now, after 2 pic lines (rocephin 6 weeks, oral flagyl for 3 mo. IV cleocin for 9 weeks and oral clindamycin for 4 more mo. MRI done last week still shows infection present in L-3-4 which most of was removed by anterior discectomy amd fusion and drbridement in 12-02.You seem very educated about the staph that I thought I wpould give it a try on the Strep. Bacteria that caused is gemella haemolysans and like I said it is very rare. any ideas would be appreciated thanks and God Bless

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Rick

you may want to do a search on google.com for: gemella haemolysans

I have this as a reference for you and hope it helps. you need to get another Infectious Disease doctor asap - this is serious infection and can become chronic quickly. your bacteria needs to be eradicated - get into Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment too. You will have to fight to get all of this. You need to! And also, get a PICC line so you can get the IV antibiotics.Miscellaneous Catalase-Negative, Gram-Positive Cocci: Emerging Opportunists (http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/40/4/1129)

best of luck to you!

Gemalla are known as opportunists. In other words, they can be a part of the usual flora, that do not cause an infections under usual conditions.

They are a close relative of strep, and should respond to the penicillin class drugs.

A necessary part of the treatment is repeated debridement of the infected bone.

Since the infection involves the bone, you must have iv antibiotics and you must be treated for a long time.

Bruce
retired microbiologist

what about linezolid?

Don't see why not. Very effective against Gram positives but should only really be used as a last resort. This type of antibiotic is becoming more and more precious as the resistant strains of bacteria become more common.
Also it is very expensive. ;)

I agree. New drugs are more expensive and you don't need a broader spectrum drug for this organism. It should be saved for treatments of organisms that are resistent to the usuall drugs. Example: Entrococcus faecium.

Bruce

linezolid isn't that broad spectrum

I don't think we have had the need to use linezolid due to resistant organisms as yet, however, it has been used in patients where there has been a fear of nephrotoxicity from vancomycin, especially if gentamicin is also being used.
This is usually in immunocompromised patients.