Discitis, caused by pyogenic organisms, is a potential complication of any procedure which involves entering the intervertebral disc during open or percutaneous procedures. While there are wide variations in the severity of symptoms, the characteristic feature of
discitis is the development of increasingly severe
back pain, which is not relieved by rest, or
narcotic analgesics. While there is a tendency to spontaneous resolution over time, a self-limiting course does not always eventuate. Serious complications resulting from spread of the infective process can lead to vertebral
osteomyelitis or to the formation of an
epidural abscess with further risk of neural compression. Clinical and experimental evidence now supports the prophylactic use of a suitable
antibiotic, but some uncertainties exist about the benefits of
antibiotic therapy in treating established
discitis. While
cephazolin is a widely favoured choice of
antibiotic, the timing of its administration to prevent or treat
discitis has been complicated by the lack of suitable methods for detecting and measuring the concentration of
cephazolin in the plasma and disc in experimental and clinical conditions. This paper describes a high-performance liquid chromatography technique for detecting the
antibiotic cephazolin. The results conclude
cephazolin can be detected in the plasma and disc after administering an intravenous bolus dose. However, concentration of
cephazolin in the outer disc was 12 times greater than that of the inner disc.