Osteomyelitis
What is Osteomyelitis? It is the medical term for an infection in a bone. Infections can rapidly travel through your bloodstream or spread from nearby tissue into a bone. It can also begin in the bone itself, if trauma exposes your bone to germs. The long bones of your body, such as your leg and upper arm bones, as well as your spine and pelvis are most commonly affected by bone infections. This bone infection often occurs in children as an acute (short term) condition. In adults, it may occur as either acute and chronic (long term) form. It can be successfully treated today, but was once considered incurable. It is still a serious condition requiring aggressive treatment to prevent spread of your infection and to save the affected bone. What are the Symptoms of Osteomyelitis? Signs and symptoms depend on whether the condition is acute, lasting several months or less, or chronic, lasting several months to years. Signs and Symptoms of Acute Osteomyelitis Include:
Signs and symptoms of Chronic Osteomyelitis:
There may be no signs and symptoms or they are difficult to distinguish from other problems. For example, this bone infection of the hip, spine or pelvis may have few signs and symptoms. Osteomyelitis that occurs after a broken bone (fracture) or deep wound may cause pain and swelling that you may attribute to your injury, not an infection. What are Some Causes of Osteomyelitis? It occurs when an infection develops in a bone or spreads to a bone from another area of your body. It's caused by bacteria or fungi. The infected bone may deteriorate and form a pocket (abscess) of pus in response to the infection. This may block blood supply to the bone. In chronic cases, the loss of blood supply may lead to death of the bone. Your bones are usually resistant to infection. In order for bone infection to occur, a situation that makes your bones vulnerable must be present. For example, trauma to your bone, such as a fracture, or to the soft tissue around your bone, such as a puncture wound, gives infections a route to enter your bone or nearby tissue. You may also be vulnerable to infection if you have a condition that weakens your body's ability to fight an infection, such as HIV, diabetes or sickle cell anemia. When do I Seek Medical Advice? See your doctor if you experience worsening bone pain along with signs and symptoms of an infection, such as fever and chills. If you're at risk of infection because of a medical condition or recent surgery or injury, see your doctor right away if you notice signs and symptoms of an infection. Your doctor may order a combination of tests and procedures to diagnose and determine what type of infection you have including: blood tests, x-rays, other imaging procedures such as MRI and CT, and bone biopsy. What are Some Treatments for Osteomyelitis? Surgery: Doctors treat chronic cases with surgery and antibiotics. In acute cases in children or vertebral osteomyelitis, surgery isn't always necessary. There are different types of surgeries depending on what bone is infected. Surgery may include:
Antibiotics: If your doctor suspects you have chronic osteomyelitis, he or she works to determine exactly what microorganism is causing the infection before prescribing antibiotics. Your doctor uses a bone biopsy or a piece of bone removed during surgical treatment to determine what is causing the infection. Once the bacterium or fungus causing your infection has been identified and you've undergone surgery, if necessary, your doctor selects the antibiotic most likely to be effective in fighting your particular type of infection. Antibiotics are administered most often through a vein in your arm (intravenously) or, in some cases, they can be taken orally. You typically take antibiotics for four to six weeks, or even longer. In some cases, you may need to take antibiotics for the rest of your life. Antibiotics carry a risk of side effects, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Allergic reactions also can occur. Talk to your doctor about the side effects to expect from your specific medication. What are Some Lifestyle and Home Remedies? If you're undergoing treatment for osteomyelitis, take care of your body so that you have a better chance to fight the infection and heal. For example:
Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. Return to Back Pain Page from Osteomyelitis.
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