What happens if a bone infection goes untreated?

What is osteomyelitis? Osteomyelitis is a bone infection caused by bacteria or fungi. It causes painful swelling of bone marrow, the soft tissue inside your bones. Without treatment, swelling from this bone infection can cut off blood supply to your bone, causing bone to die.

How do you know if a bone infection is spreading?

How serious is an infection in the bone?

An infection in your bone can impede blood circulation within the bone, leading to bone death. Areas where bone has died need to be surgically removed for antibiotics to be effective. Septic arthritis. Sometimes, infection within bones can spread into a nearby joint.

How long does bone infection take to heal?

If you have a severe infection, the course may last up to 12 weeks. It's important to finish a course of antibiotics even if you start to feel better. If the infection is treated quickly (within 3 to 5 days of it starting), it often clears up completely. You can take painkillers to ease the pain.

Can you recover from bone infection?

Many bone and joint infections are cleared with medication, surgery, or a combination of the two. However, for some people, osteomyelitis or septic arthritis may never completely go away. The bacteria can lie dormant in the body and return, even after treatment.

Ways to deal with the infection in bones | Dr. Rakesh Mattoo

How fast does a bone infection spread?

Acute osteomyelitis develops rapidly over a period of seven to 10 days. The symptoms for acute and chronic osteomyelitis are very similar and include: Fever, irritability, fatigue. Nausea.

How painful is a bone infection?

This pain is usually described as dull or aching and may worsen during activity. The person may also experience fever and night sweats. In addition to pain, some cancerous bone lesions can cause stiffness, swelling, or tenderness in the affected area. The pain may come and go and may be worse or better at night.

Is osteomyelitis an emergency?

Symptoms that might indicate a serious condition

In some cases, osteomyelitis can be a serious condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Osteomyelitis may spread to the bloodstream and lead to a widespread infection.

Will an xray show bone infection?

A blood test or imaging test such as an x-ray can tell if you have a bone infection. Treatment includes antibiotics and often surgery.

Can osteomyelitis lead to sepsis?

Osteomyelitis can be caused by a bacterial infection of the blood. This is sometimes called bacteremia or sepsis. This infection can spread to the bone. It's most common in babies and children.

Can osteomyelitis be cured without surgery?

Non-surgical treatment of osteomyelitis requires a multidisciplinary team approach including primary care, infectious disease specialist care, nutritionist care and wound care. These wounds will require antibiotic therapy for a duration of six to eight weeks.

What does osteomyelitis pain feel like?

There may be bone pain, swelling, redness and tenderness of the affected area. A discharge of pus from an opening to the infected bone is often the first symptom. There may also be destruction of the bone with pieces of the infected bone separating from the healthy bone.

Can you have a bone infection and not know it?

You may have a fever and then develop pain in the infected area days later. Chronic: Chronic osteomyelitis is a bone infection that doesn't go away with treatments. It causes bone pain and recurring drainage (pus). Rarely, chronic osteomyelitis doesn't have symptoms.

What is the strongest antibiotic for bone infection?

The classic antibiotic combination for bone infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and P. aeruginosa is levofloxacin plus rifampicin. It is difficult to assess how long it will take for an infection to clear following the treatment of bone infection.

How do you test for bone infection?

A bone biopsy can reveal what type of germ has infected your bone. Knowing the type of germ allows your doctor to choose an antibiotic that works particularly well for that type of infection. An open biopsy requires anesthesia and surgery to access the bone.

When should you suspect osteomyelitis?

Suspect acute osteomyelitis most commonly in an unwell child with a limp, or in an immunocompromised patient. Suspect chronic osteomyelitis most commonly in adults with a history of open fracture, previous orthopaedic surgery, or a discharging sinus.

What happens to your body when you have an infection?

Viruses make us sick by killing cells or disrupting cell function. Our bodies often respond with fever (heat inactivates many viruses), the secretion of a chemical called interferon (which blocks viruses from reproducing), or by marshaling the immune system's antibodies and other cells to target the invader.

Can you have osteomyelitis without fever?

Diagnosis of Osteomyelitis

For example, doctors may suspect osteomyelitis in a person who has persistent pain in part of a bone, who may or may not have a fever, and who feels tired much of the time.

Does osteomyelitis require hospitalization?

The goal for treatment of osteomyelitis is to cure the infection and minimize any long-term complications. Treatment may include: Medications. Administration of intravenous (IV) antibiotics, which may require hospitalization or may be given on an outpatient schedule.

How can I relieve osteomyelitis pain?

To manage the pain from osteomyelitis, or after osteomyelitis surgery, your doctor may give you pain medication. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are best for treating mild or moderate pain.

Is osteomyelitis an orthopedic emergency?

Osteomyelitis can present to the emergency department as an acute, subacute, or chronic orthopedic concern.

What complication of osteomyelitis is the most likely to occur?

The most common complication in children with osteomyelitis is recurrence of bone infection.

What does bone pain feel like?

Bone pain usually feels deeper, sharper, and more intense than muscle pain. Muscle pain also feels more generalized throughout the body and tends to ease within a day or two, while bone pain is more focused and lasts longer. Bone pain is also less common than joint or muscle pain, and should always be taken seriously.

What does infection look like on xray?

When interpreting the x-ray, the radiologist will look for white spots in the lungs (called infiltrates) that identify an infection.

Can osteomyelitis affect the brain?

Brain abscess is the commonest complication of skull osteomyelitis. This is usually associated with subperiosteal abscess. Frontal lobe abscess present as subtle personality changes. Radiological features vary with the duration of the infection.