Health and human are two things that could never be separated. We all know how important health is for humans as it helps humans to have a quality life. There are many diseases or conditions that can affect the human daily routine or even cause prolonged problems throughout their life. In the world of medicine, diseases such as osteomyelitis can be a great issue. In this article, we will learn more on osteomyelitis and if it can be cured.
What is osteomyelitis? Osteomyelitis is usually known as bone infection. It is an infection that affects the bone and structures caused by many infectious pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. It is known that risk for osteomyelitis increases as the person grows older, mainly due to underlying disease such as diabetes mellitus and peripheral vascular disease. Furthermore, cases of osteomyelitis are higher in the modern days thanks to the availability of sensitive imaging tests such as MRI and bone scintigraphy. Did you know that in the old days, osteomyelitis was one of the diseases that caused a high death rate due to the fact that the infection could not be curbed? We should be grateful to be living in the modern world where medicine is much more accessible and effective to treat many diseases.
Osteomyelitis is indeed the bone infection caused by many small microorganisms. It is commonly caused by a bacteria that is abundant in skin known as staphylococcus aureus. When a person has osteomyelitis, these pathogens from the skin can spread to the skin causing skin sore. It may also spread to the bones of other parts of the body via the bloodstream. Infection may also start following bone surgery such as from bone injury or placement of equipment such as metal rods and plates within the bone.
Osteomyelitis is divided into two types which are acute osteomyelitis and chronic osteomyelitis. Acute osteomyelitis often refers to the infection occurring less than 1 month. Chronic osteomyelitis refers to the infection that extends more than 4 weeks. Knowing the types of osteomyelitis is a great clue to help healthcare professionals give the proper treatment.
Acute osteomyelitis often shows symptoms such as fever, inflammation signs such as feeling warm, swelling, tenderness, redness and swelling to the infected area, fatigue and weight loss. Chronic osteomyelitis is the result from the acute osteomyelitis that is not treated well. It may go undetected for a long period of time for months or years. Symptoms of chronic osteomyelitis include bone pain, recurrent infection to the tissue over the bone and episodes of repeating drainage of pus through skin.
Diagnosing osteomyelitis is more than just the appearance of the bone infection itself. Doctors often run additional tests such as blood tests and imaging tests to get a closer look of the infection and to understand the cause of the infection. MRI is often the best imaging test as it helps to give a clear image of the bones and its surrounding area. Bone biopsy and bone culture may be done to get to the root of the pathogen.
Treatment for osteomyelitis aims to eradicate the infection which then reduces the damages to the bone and its supporting structure. Acute osteomyelitis is typically treated with antibiotics for around a month. Antibiotics often start with intravenous before switching to oral antibiotics. This will depend on the severity of the symptoms. Chronic osteomyelitis can be treated with antibiotics but due to the fact that the infection has already occurred for a great period of time, most often surgery is needed. Surgery is done to remove dead tissues or bone that can cause harm to the body when it is left unattended.
Can osteomyelitis be cured? In most cases, especially acute ones, can be cured with antibiotics. When it is treated quickly, symptoms can be improved within a week. This is not to say that chronic osteomyelitis cannot be cured but patients usually will need some form of surgery apart from antibiotics. In some cases, amputation may be needed to save the patient’s life.
Hence, when a person has symptoms of osteomyelitis, they should get checked by doctors. This is important to prevent further damages to the bone and for patients to get antibiotic treatment as quickly as they can. This can prevent the many complications such as abscess, bone deformity, possibility of cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma and septic arthritis that can be debilitating. Furthermore, patients with risk factors such as diabetes need to get checked by doctors even when they have minor wounds or injury to their limbs.
In essence, osteomyelitis is a bone infection caused by pathogens. It can affect anyone of any age but most likely in older person and with underlying disease. It is a disease that can be cured with antibiotics but in complicated cases, surgery is needed. MRI is often the best imaging test that is sued by doctors to help diagnose osteomyelitis.
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