Treatment and Prevention
Treatment of osteomyelitis depends on how the infection has spread to the bone. If the bone infection has come through the blood and is a recent infection, treatment with antibiotics in high doses usually works. You'll be prescribed antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus (usually cloxacillin* or clindamycin) unless your doctor has identified another type of bacteria responsible for the infection. If the osteomyelitis is very severe, you might need to take intravenous antibiotics at first and then switch to antibiotic pills later, once the infection is under control. People usually take them for four to six weeks, except for infections of the spinal vertebrae, which need a six-to-eight-week treatment. For serious infections, the buildup of pus may need to be drained by surgery.
If the infection has spread from surrounding soft tissue, the dead tissue and bone is removed by surgery, and the space is filled with healthy bone, muscle, or skin before antibiotics are given.
If an artificial joint is infected, it has to be surgically removed and replaced. Antibiotics are usually given before surgery. In rare cases, the infection may not be cured and the infected limb may need to be amputated or the joint fused with surgery.
Sometimes foot ulcers (infections caused by poor circulation) due to diabetes can spread to the bones of the feet. These infections are often difficult to cure with antibiotics alone, and sometimes the infected bone must be surgically removed.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®). The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen). A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.