Antimicrobial therapy and assessing therapeutic response in culture-negative pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis: a retrospective comparative study with culture-positive pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis.

The CN group required a shorter duration of parenteral antibiotics than the CP group. Discontinuation of parenteral antibiotics or changing the administration route can be considered based on the values of ESR, CRP, and VAS score of back pain. The presence of epidural abscess was the most significant factor for the identification of causative bacteria.