Description

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. It can affect one or more parts of a bone. Infections can reach a bone through the bloodstream or near infected tissue. Infections can also begin in the bone if a wound is opened to the bone to germs.

People who smoke and people with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or kidney failure, are at increased risk of developing osteomyelitis. People who have diabetes with foot ulcers can get the osteomyelitis of the bones of your feet.

The majority of people with osteomyelitis need surgery to remove the areas of the affected bone. After the surgery, most of the time, people need strong antibiotics administered through a vein.

Symptoms

The symptoms of osteomyelitis can include:

  • Swelling, warmth and tenderness in the area of the infection.
  • Pain near the infection.
  • Fatigue.
  • Fever.

Sometimes osteomyelitis does not cause symptoms. When it does cause symptoms, which may be similar to symptoms of other conditions. This can be especially true for infants, older adults and people who have weakened immune systems.

When to see a doctor

Consult your health care professional if you have a fever and bone pain that gets worse. People at risk of infection due to a medical condition or recent surgery or an injury should see a health care professional right away if you have symptoms of an infection.

Causes

Most often, the staph bacteria cause osteomyelitis. These bacteria are microbes that live on the skin or in the nose of all the people.

The germs can get in a bone through:

  • The bloodstream. The germs to other parts of your body can travel through the blood to a weak point in a bone. For example, the germs can come from pneumonia in the lungs, or an infection of the urinary tract to the bladder.
  • Injury. Puncture wounds may be harboring of germs inside the body. If a lesion is infected, the virus can be spread in close to a bone. The germs can also enter the body of a bone fracture protrudes through the skin.
  • Surgery. The germs can enter the body and travel to the bone during the surgery to replace the joint or fix broken bones.

Risk factors

The health of the bones that are resistant to infection. But the bones are less able to resist infection as you get older. In addition to the injury and the surgery, other factors that may increase your risk of osteomyelitis can include:

  • Conditions that weaken the immune system. This includes the diabetes is not well controlled.
  • The peripheral arterial disease. This is a condition in which narrowing of the arteries cut off the flow of blood to the arms or legs.
  • The sickle cell disease. This condition is passed down through families, called legacy. Sickle cell disease affects the shape of the red blood cells of the blood and decreases the blood flow.
  • Dialysis and other procedures that used the tubes. Dialysis is used in the pipes to eliminate body wastes when the kidneys do not work well. The doctors of the tubes can be carriers of germs from the outside of the body on the inside.
  • Pressure injuries. People who can't feel pressure or to stay in one position for too long can get sores on their skin, where the pressure is. These sores are called pressure injuries. If the pain is there for a time, the bone beneath it, can become infected.
  • Illicit drugs through needles. People who take illicit drugs by the needle are more prone to osteomyelitis. This is true whether the use of needles that are not sterile, and if you do not clean the skin before using the needles.

Complications

Osteomyelitis complications may include:

  • The death of the bone, also called osteonecrosis. A bone infection can block the flow of blood in the bone, which leads to the death of the bone. If you have areas where the bone has died, surgery is needed to remove the dead tissue of antibiotics for the job.
  • Septic arthritis. The infection within the bones can spread in a nearby joint.
  • The impairment of growth. Osteomyelitis can affect the growth of bones in children. This is true if osteomyelitis is in the softer areas, so-called growth plates, at either ends of the long bones of the arms and legs.
  • Long-term, osteomyelitis, the so-called chronic osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis that does not respond to treatment can become chronic osteomyelitis.

Prevention

If you have a higher risk of infection, talk with your healthcare provider about ways to prevent infections. To cut the risk of infection, reduces the risk of osteomyelitis.

Take care not to get cuts, scrapes and scratches or bites from animals. These give the germs of a way into your body. If you or your child has a minor injury, clean the area immediately. Put a clean bandage on it. Check the wounds frequently to detect signs of infection.

Diagnosis

Your health care professional may feel that the area around the affected bone by the tenderness, swelling, or heat. If you have a foot pain, your health care professional may use a dull probe to see how closely the pain is in the bone below it.

You may also have tests to diagnose osteomyelitis and to find out which germ is causing the infection. The tests may include blood tests, imaging tests and a biopsy of the bone.

Blood tests

Blood tests may show elevated levels of white blood cells and other markers in the blood that may mean that the body is fighting an infection. Blood tests can also show that the germs causing the infection.

There is No blood test can determine if you have osteomyelitis. But blood tests can help your healthcare provider decide what other tests and procedures that you may need.

Imaging tests

  • The x-rays. X-rays can show damage to a bone. But the damage may not show on x-rays until the osteomyelitis has been there for weeks. You may need more detailed imaging tests if the infection is more recent.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging. The use of radio waves and a strong magnetic field, MRI scans can obtain detailed images of the bones and soft tissues around them.
  • Computed tomography. This analysis combines X-ray images taken from different angles to give points of view of the internal structures of the body. You may have a ct scan if you can not have an mri.
  • Bone scan. This nuclear imaging test that uses small amounts of radioactive substances, called radioactive tracers, a special camera that can detect radioactivity and a computer. The cells and tissues that are infected to take in the marker so that the infection is shown in the scan.

Bone biopsy

A bone biopsy can show what type of germ that has infected your bone. Knowing the type of germ that helps your health professional to choose an antibiotic that works well for the type of infection you have.

For an open biopsy, is put to sleep with a drug called general anesthesia. Then you have the surgery to the bone to take a sample.

For a needle biopsy, a surgeon places a long needle through your skin and into the bone to take a sample. This procedure uses a medicine to numb the area where the needle is inserted. The medication is called a local anesthetic. The surgeon may use an X-ray or other scan to guide the needle.

Treatment

Most often, the treatment of osteomyelitis involves surgery to remove parts of the bones that are infected or dead. After getting antibiotics through a vein, so-called intravenous antibiotics.

Surgery

Depending on the severity of the infection, osteomyelitis of the surgery may involve one or more of the following procedures:

  • Drainage of the infected area. A surgeon opens up the area around the infected bone, to drain the pus, or fluid from the infection.
  • To remove the diseased bone and tissue. In a procedure called debridement, the surgeon removes as much of the diseased bone as possible. The surgeon may also remove a small amount of healthy bone and tissue surrounding the diseased bone. This is a way to make sure you remove all the infection.
  • To restore the blood flow to the bone.The surgeon can fill any empty space of the debridement procedure leaves with a piece of bone or other tissue. This can be a skin or muscle from another part of the body. Sometimes, the surgeon places short-term fills in the space until you are healthy enough to have a bone graft or graft tissue. The graft helps your body repair the damage of the blood vessels and form new bone.
  • Remove the foreign objects. Sometimes, the surgeon needs to remove foreign objects. These can be surgical plates and screws placed during a previous surgery.

To restore the blood flow to the bone. The surgeon can fill any empty space of the debridement procedure leaves with a piece of bone or other tissue. This can be a skin or muscle from another part of the body.

Sometimes, the surgeon places short-term fills in the space until you are healthy enough to have a bone graft or graft tissue. The graft helps your body repair the damage of the blood vessels and form new bone.

Drugs

Your health care professional to choose an antibiotic based on the germ causing the infection. You are likely to get antibiotics through a vein in your arm for about six weeks. If the infection is more severe, you may need to take antibiotics by mouth.

If you smoke, quitting can help to speed up the healing. It is also necessary to manage long-term conditions that you have. For example, the control of your blood sugar if you have diabetes.

Preparing for your appointment

It is likely to start by seeing your primary health care provider. This person can be sent to a doctor who specializes in infectious diseases or to an orthopedic surgeon.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

Make a list of:

  • Your symptoms and when they began. Be sure to include all the symptoms, even if they do not appear to be linked to the reason he made the appointment.
  • All medications, vitamins or supplements that you take, including over-dose.
  • Write questions to ask their health professional.

Osteomyelitis, some questions are:

  • What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
  • What tests do I need?
  • What treatments are there?
  • I need surgery?
  • I have other health conditions. How can I best manage these conditions?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What websites do you suggest?

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare provider is likely to ask questions, such as:

  • Do you have a fever or chills?
  • Does anything make your symptoms better or worse?
  • Have you had any cuts, scrapes and other injuries lately?
  • Have you had a surgery recently?
  • You've had a joint replaced? Or have you had a bone fracture that underwent a surgery to correct?
  • Do you have diabetes? Do you have any ulcers of the foot?
Symptoms and treatment of Osteomyelitis