Osteomyelitis - Term Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... Various types of osteomyelitis are there and some are more prone to strike children like hematogenous osteomyelitis while direct trauma and contiguous focus osteomyelitis are more likely to be found in adults (King & Johnson, n.d.). Epidemiological Overview Process Ostermyelitis is a disease associated with bones. It is an infection that affects the bones and which occurs as a result of bacteria or other germs. Fungi can also cause this disease. Bacteria can spread to a bone in various manners. Skin that is suffering from infection can spread bacteria to a bone. Bacteria can also reach the bone from muscles or tendons that are placed near the bone. This disease can also happen under a skin sore. The infection can actually happen in any area of the body and from that area the infection can be carried to the bone by blood. There is another way this infection can start and that is from complications arising from surgery of the bone. The risk of this infection tends to gets more likely if the surgery is done after there is an injury. Infection can also happen from metal rods and plates that are placed in the bone to fix fracture of the bone. In case of children, this disease more often occurs in the long bones of the arms or legs which give strength and provides mobility. Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis can mostly be seen in children. Direct trauma and contiguous focus osteomyelitis affect mostly adults and adolescents. (Osteomyelitis, 2012) Morbidity of the disease can be substantial. The infection can spread in a localized manner to the related soft tissues of joints. The infection can also end up as a chronic infection causing acute pain and can cause disability. The areas of the body that gets extremely infected may have the need to be amputated to stop the spread of the infection to other parts of the body. The infection can also be generalized or sepsis. Figures show that around 10 to 15 percent of patients who have this disease in the bones of their vertebra can develop disorder in the nervous system or frank spinal-cord compression. Recent studies have shown that complications in the vascular system seem to be more common with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) than it was earlier known. Patients suffering from osteomyelitis generally have low rates of mortality unless there is an associated sepsis. The disease can also be mortal if the patient has a history of a prevalent medical condition (King & Johnson, n.d.). Osteomyelitis in children In children, this disease is more commonly carried by blood and is typically found in long bones like the femur, tibia and humerus. Generally bacteria enter the bones of children through surgical manipulations or penetrating wounds. In case of infants, this disease can spread more as the anatomical resistance power to deflect infection is less in infants. Osteomyelitis is more focal in older children with fever and bacteremia as common symptoms (Kaplan, 2005, pp.787-788). Pathophysiologic Processes Risk Factors The common risk factors for osteomyelitis are diabetis, poor blood supply, injury received in recent past and use of illegal drugs by means of injection. People whose spleen has been removed are also vulnerable to osteomyelitis. (Osteomyelitis, ...Download file to see next pagesRead More