Has anyone had successful treatment for bone infections?

2020-02-26T11:19:21-05:00

Friends elderly mother has a bone infection on her heel, and the solutions provided aren't real great. Just looking to see if anyone here may have heard of/tried something else that may have worked. Thanks!

Response by PO1 H Gene Lawrence made Feb 26 at 2020 11:22 AM

2020-02-26T11:22:09-05:00

I had a bone infected with MRSA. I had to have that part of toe bone amputated.

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Feb 26 at 2020 1:30 PM

2020-02-26T13:30:44-05:00

LT Brad McInnis Infections have different causes. Depending on the type of infection and or the cause will depend on the treatment.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 26 at 2020 2:27 PM

2020-02-26T14:27:28-05:00

The only definitive cure for osteomyelitis is amputation.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 26 at 2020 3:04 PM

2020-02-26T15:04:20-05:00

Not to be an alarmist but my mom had a similar condition and they had to amputate. The good news is she lived another ten years. This was 20 years ago so maybe contemporary medicine has alternatives. I would imagine there are several types of infections and outcomes/treatments vary.

On the plus side, I moved mom next door after the amputation and I cherish the time we spent in her waning years.

Response by SPC Linda Chandler made Feb 27 at 2020 4:17 AM

2020-02-27T04:17:29-05:00

Is she a diabetic?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2020 10:42 PM

2020-03-01T22:42:25-05:00

I'll post to the original post though I hope to address some of the comments below. I am a vascular surgery fellow with just a few more months left in fellowship before I go into practice. Bone infections (aka osteomyelitis) are only cured by surgery, usually amputation. Amputations of the toes or end of the foot can be done under local anesthesia with the appropriate nerve block, as performed by a competent anesthesiologist. Not all anesthesiologists can do that, but I have found that the ones that can are the ones that usually work where orthopedic surgeons do their surgeries. So even for frail, older patients that cannot tolerate general anesthesia, usually you can get the surgery performed, as a long as that is the only problem. Sometimes if a patient cannot tolerate surgery at all you can have a long term line inserted (like a PICC line: Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) which will allow daily infusions of IV antibiotics for 6-8 weeks, which has been successful in some cases to dampen the infection enough so that the risk of a deadly bacteremia is lessened.