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Taking a Look at Osteomyelitis

Decent Essays

When someone hears the word infection the first thing that comes to mind is not Osteomyelitis because many people don’t know what it is. Osteomyelitis is rare but serious infection that occurs in bones. Children and adults can contract the infection but people with diabetes have an increased risk. Osteomyelitis comes in different forms depending if it caught early on or if it has been present for a long period of time. Various treatments are available for the infections as well as different prevention methods. It is important that people with and without diabetes are aware of this type of infection so they are knowledgeable in keeping themselves safe. In most cases, a bacteria called Staphylococcus Aureus, a type of staph bacteria, causes osteomyelitis (Johnson, 2012). There are two categories to osteomyelitis one being acute, meaning it presents itself quickly within 7 to 10 days and the other chronic, meaning it is normally present for a few weeks to months. Each form of the infection has specific symptoms and treatment plans. Symptoms of an acute infection include: fever, irritability, fatigue, nausea, tenderness and swelling around the affected bone, and lost range of motion (Johnson, 2012). Chronic infection symptoms are: fevers around 102 degrees, pungent discharge, and pain around affected bone. Depending on what type of infection a person has will determine the action needed to treat it. Medical treatments for osteomyelitis vary due to its different

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