OSTEOMYELITIS
The
Facts Put Simply
.
Learn
About Osteomyelitis and Equip Yourself to Fight Back!
Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone which is usually
caused by the introduction of bacteria into the bone by a variety of
means.
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Who is at risk to get
Osteomyelitis? |
• Males are twice as likely to contract it than are females
• Osteomyelitis does not occur more commonly in a particular race or
gender. However, some people are more at risk for developing the
disease, including:
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Symptoms of Osteomyelitis:
| •
Pain and/or tenderness in the infected
area • Swelling and
warmth in the infected area
• Fever
• Nausea, secondarily from being ill with infection
• General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
• Drainage of pus through the skin
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease
include:
• Excessive sweating
• Chills
• Lower back pain
• Swelling of the ankles, feet, and legs
• Changes in gait (walking pattern that is a painful, yielding a limp)
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What can you do to prevent
osteomyelitis? |
Osteomyelitis results from an infection
from any part of the body,
migrating to a bone or joint which can be local to or remote from the
initial site of the infection. As such, quick attention to resolving
infections is key. This will limit the chance of the infection
spreading. High-risk groups should see a health care provider
immediately if signs of an infection anywhere in the body arise.
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What can you do to combat
osteomyelitis? |
The objective of treatment is to eliminate the infection and
prevent the development of chronic infection. Chronic osteomyelitis can
lead to permanent deformity and chronic problems, so it is important to
treat the disease as soon as possible.
• If there is an open wound or abscess, it may be drained through a
procedure called needle aspiration. In this procedure, a needle is
inserted into the infected area and the fluid is withdrawn. Deep
aspiration is preferred over often-unreliable surface swabs.
• Prescribing antibiotics is the first step in treating osteomyelitis.
Antibiotics help the body get rid of bacteria in the bloodstream that
may otherwise re-infect the bone. The dosage and type of antibiotic
prescribed depends on the type of bacteria present and the extent of
infection. While antibiotics are often given intravenously, some are
also very effective when given in an oral dosage. It is important to
first identify the offending organism through blood cultures,
aspiration, and biopsy so that the organism is not masked by an initial
inappropriate dose of antibiotics.
• Splinting or cast immobilization may be necessary to immobilize the
affected bone and nearby joints in order to avoid further trauma and to
help the area heal adequately and as quickly as possible. Splinting and
cast immobilization are frequently done in children, although motion of
joints after initial control is important to prevent stiffness and
atrophy.
• Surgery: Most well-established bone infections are managed through
open surgical procedures during which the destroyed bone is scraped
out. In the case of spinal abscesses, surgery is not performed unless
there is compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots. Instead,
patients with spinal osteomyelitis are given intravenous antibiotics.
After surgery, antibiotics against the specific bacteria involved in
the infection are then intensively administered during the hospital
stay and for many weeks afterward.
With proper treatment, the outcome is
usually good for osteomyelitis,
although results tend to be worse for chronic osteomyelitis, even with
surgery. Some cases of chronic osteomyelitis can be so resistant to
treatment that amputation may be required; however, this is rare. Also,
over many years, chronic infectious draining sites can evolve into a
squamous-cell type of skin cancer, although this, too, is rare.
Any change in the nature of the chronic drainage, or change of the
nature of the chronic drainage site, should be evaluated by a physician
experienced in treating chronic bone infections.
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