OSTEOMYELITIS
Osteomyelitis is an infection and inflammation of the bone.
- Bones can become infected in a number of ways: infections can reach a bone by traveling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissues, or infections can begin in the bone itself when an open fracture or surgery exposes it to germs.
- The condition affects both children and adult, although in different ways.
- In children, bone infections most commonly occur in the long bones of the upper arms and legs.
- In adults, bone infections most commonly occur in the hips, spine, and feet.
- Bone infections can be acute-happen suddenly or chronic- develop over a long period of time.
- If not properly treated, osteomyelitis can lead to can leave the bone completely damaged and may interrupt normal growth in children,
CAUSES
The most common cause of osteomyelitis is Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. These bacteria can enter the bone through the bloodstream, infected tissue or open wounds.
Bone is normally resistant to infections but certain conditions can increase your risk of osteomyelitis, these may include:
- Chemotherapy
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Sickle cell disease
- Intravenous drug use
- Recent injury
- Pulmonary tuberculosis
- Surgery to replace broken bones
- AIDS
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Having a urinary catheter
Symptoms
- Severe pain in a specific bone
- Swelling around the affected bone
- Redness, warmth, and tenderness in the affected area
- Fever, chills, and sweating
- Fatigue
- Irritability or lethargy especially in young children
- Drainage from an open wound near the infection site or through the skin
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
The doctor may use several methods to diagnose the condition if you have any symptoms of a bone infection.
The doctor will perform a physical examination. The doctor will do this by feeling the affected areas for tenderness, swelling or warmth.
To determine the location and extent of the infection, the doctor may order a combination of tests and procedure. This may include:
- Blood tests. This may reveal an elevated level of white blood cells and other factors that may indicate that your body is fighting an infection. If your infection results from an infection in the blood, tests may reveal the germs that are responsible
- A bone biopsy may reveal the type of germ that has infected the bone. This information helps with treatment as it allows the doctor to know the type of antibiotics that work well. This may be necessary in some cases.
- Imaging tests such as x-ray, CT scan, and MRI can provide images of your bone and the tissues that surround them.
TREATMENT
Osteomyelitis may be treated with medications, surgery or both.
Medications help bring the infection under control and often make it possible to avoid surgery. Antibiotics may be administered intravenously or directly into the veins for several weeks.
Sometimes, surgery may be required to remove the infected tissue and bone. The surgery prevents the infection from spreading further or getting so bad that the remaining option is amputation.
If a prosthesis is causing your infection, the doctor may remove it and replace it with a new one
If you have diabetes, place close attention to your feet and contact your health care provider at the first sign of the infection