What are the Different Types of Osteomyelitis Treatment?

There are a few different types of osteomyelitis treatment. This condition, which is an infection in a bone, may be treated solely with antibiotics if it is mild. More severe cases typically require both antibiotics and surgery to remove the diseased portions of the bone. If a large amount of bone is removed, the surgeon may sometimes replace it with grafted bone from elsewhere in the body. Osteomyelitis treatment may also involve amputation in very severe cases for which antibiotics and other surgical techniques fail to work.

In order to determine the best course of osteomyelitis treatment, the doctor will first need to take a x-ray of the affected bone, as well as a bone scan. Needle aspiration is then used to determine the specific type of bacterial infection. During this simple procedure, the doctor will use a needle inserted into the area to remove a small sample of tissue for testing.

The proper kind of antibiotics can then be prescribed. Typically, the patient will receive antibiotics intravenously, or through a vein in the arm. He must return to the hospital on a regular basis to receive the medication for a minimum of six weeks.

Other types of osteomyelitis treatment are needed when antibiotics alone are not sufficient. When the infection causes a cavity, or hole, to develop in the bone matter, pus can collect. The surgeon will open up this area and drain the pus away from the infected bone. This allows the body to heal itself.

Very severe cases of osteomyelitis may require a more drastic treatment: amputation. This may be necessary for patients who develop chronic osteomyelitis, a condition in which they have recurring symptoms despite initial treatment. Those who have poor blood circulation, including diabetics, may also require an amputation with severe instances of the disease. Amputation can prevent the infection from traveling to other parts of the body and causing more damage.