Epidemiology of fatal/non-fatal suicide among patients with chronic osteomyelitis (COM): A nationwide population-based study

Objective: Chronic osteomyelitis (COM) can induce systemic inflammation, and systemic inflammation may be associated with suicide tendency. However, no studies have investigated the correlation between COM and suicide tendency.

Methods: The aim of this population-based study was to determine the epidemiology of fatal/ non-fatal suicide among COM patients. Subjects with at least two outpatient visits or one course of inpatient care diagnosed with COM were recruited into a COM cohort. The control/COM subject ratio was approximately 4:1 matched by age, sex, major depression coding and index year (COM patients). Subjects with suicide attempts before COM diagnosis and subjects aged <20 years were excluded.

Results: COM patients had 1.93 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–3.36) times the risk of fatal/ non-fatal suicide as control subjects. Considering death as the competing event of fatal/non-fatal suicide, COM patients had 1.76 (95% CI: 1.03–3.01) times the risk of fatal/non-fatal suicide (competing risk regression model). The effect of COM on fatal/non-fatal suicide was more prominent among diabetic patients. COM severity also correlated with the risk of fatal/ non-fatal suicide.

Conclusions: More attention must be paid to suicide tendency among COM patients.