Osteomyelitis News
Bone infections caused by bacteria or fungus develop a condition of osteomyelitis. The infection affects the bone marrow. If the bone marrow swells, it presses against the wall of the bone, which may cut off or reduce the blood supply to the bone. When this happens there is danger that the bone or parts of the bone may die. There is also a risk that the infection may spread to adjoining muscles causing abscesses to develop. Even though the bones are well protected, bones can be infected from the circulatory system, by direct entry and also from nearby soft tissue. Children are more commonly infected with infections that develop on the end of the legs or arms, but adults are most likely to have infections in the spine. People who inject illegal drugs and kidney dialysis are at increased risk of bone infection. Other methods of infection are when metal used in hip or knee replacement is attached to bone or from open fractures during surgery. Diagnosis is difficult to detect bone infections because at times there are no symptoms for months or even years, but the bone infection may be discovered in a routine physical examination. In bone scans the infected area always appears abnormal.
Antibiotics are the drugs of choice for children or adults with a recent case of bone infection from the blood stream. Antibiotics are usually given intravenously at first, but later oral antibiotics are used. In most cases that are discovered early, surgery is not necessary but it may have to be used to drain abscesses. Other complications of osteomyelitis must be directed under a doctor's diagnosis and care.
