Ways To Treat And Prevent Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is a rare bone infection that affects only two in every ten thousand individuals on an annual basis. Bones may become infected if bacteria migrate from another infected area of the body to the bones or if an individual experiences a compound fracture. Infection can also occur in those who have had surgery, especially those involving knee and hip replacements. Staph infections cause most incidences of osteomyelitis. While the majority of osteomyelitis cases are attributed to individuals with diabetes or those with compromised immune systems, such as with HIV or AIDS, sickle cell anemia and rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of developing osteomyelitis as well. Get to know the major treatment options now.

Surgery

In cases of severe osteomyelitis, surgery may be required to eradicate the current infection and prevent it from spreading. There are several surgical procedures a physician can use to treat osteomyelitis. For instance, surgeons may opt to open the bone and drain the area of any infected fluid. In some cases, debridement is the best option. Debridement involves the removal of the infected areas of the bone, and sometimes tissue, as well as a small portion of the healthy bone. The removal of the healthy bone helps to guarantee there is no remaining infection residing within the bone. In severe cases, when other methods fail to work, a physician may have no other option but to amputate the limb to prevent the spread of osteomyelitis to other areas of the body.

Continue reading to reveal more ways to treat this condition.