In spite of the existence of a powerful armamentarium of antibiotics, acute osteomyelitis continues to present a challenge as regards both health and life. Since the initial claims of the modern antibiotic era, it is now generally agreed that acute osteomyelitis is principally a surgical problem. Basic principles of early diagnosis, early antibiotic therapy, and, when necessary, early surgical intervention, continue to be fundamental. These, if correctly applied, may help to avert the occasional death. The following is a case in which these principles were not adhered to, a case which ultimately proved fatal owing to septicemic sequelae.
Report of Case
The patient was a girl aged 10 who had been epileptic since infancy. After one of these epileptic attacks, she began to complain of pain in the left leg just below the knee. The pain soon disappeared, but three days later she again had an attack of severe pain