osteomyelitis Flashcards
what is osteomyelitis?
an infection that causes inflammation of the bone and medullar cavity usually in the long bone of the leg
how does the infection reach the bone in osteomyelitis?
- infection travelling through blood (haemogeneous spread)
- travelling from nearby tissue (contagious spread)
- may just start in the bone if an injury exposes it to nearby germs
what microorganism usually causes oestomyelitis in children?
Staph aureus OR
Group B strep
what microorganism usually causes osteomyelitis in adults?
staph aureus
what microorganism usually causes osteomyelitis in elderly?
Gram negative bacilli
what are some signs/symptoms of osteomyelitis?
- fever
- localized bone pain
- tenderness and erythema
- fatigue
- reluctant to weight bear/limp
what investigations would be done for osteomyelitis?
GOLD STANDARD!!= bone biopsy
- MRI
- Xray may come back normal in acute osteomyelitis
- Bloods (raised WBC and CRP)
- Blood cultures
what sign would you look for on an Xray
fallen leaf
what treatment is given for a patient with staph aureus osteomyelitis?
-surgical drainage/removal of dead bone
antibiotics for 6 weeks:
- flucloaxicillin IV
- vancomycin if allergic to penicillin
then switch to oral doxycycline
what treatment is given to a patient with gram negative osteomyelitis?
-surgical drainage or removal of dead bone
antibiotics for atleast 6 weeks:
- gentamycin/ aztreonam IV if severe
- then oral co trimoxazole/ doxycycline
what management is given to a patient with osteomyelitis caused by an anaerobe?
surgical drainage/ removal of dead bone
antibiotics for 6 weeks:
-metranidazole
what are examples of long bones in the human body?
femur, tibia, fibula, radius, ulna, humerus
what is this bone called?
radius
what is this bone called?
radius
what is this bone called?
fibular
what is this bone called?
tibia
what is this bone called?
femur
what is this bone called?
humerous
