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Posts for tag: osteomyelitis

By drbhatia
December 26, 2011
Category: Foot Care

 

Back in June, the Columbus Dispatch published an article on the scary reality of sepsis or septicemia, an infection of the blood that can be deadly.  This past week a follow up article was run on the positive outlook of the Columbus man who survived his sepsis and subsequent below the knee amputation.  With the help of a new prosthetic leg, the man is learning to walk again. 

While sepsis is a terrifying infection of the blood, an often related infection that frequently occurs in the foot and leg is called “osteomyelitis”.  Osteomyelitis occurs when bacteria reaches and infects the bone.  As bone tries to fight off the infection, it often walls off the dead piece of bone, called a sequestrum, and attempts to envelop the piece away from healthy tissue by quickly synthesizing a weaker woven bone around it called an involucrum.  Pain that feels as though it is coming from the bone, and edema, or swelling are the most common initial complaints of a patient with osteomyelitis.  In order to diagnose a bone infection, taking x-rays are the first step.  A timely diagnosis is imperative to prevent the spread of infection through larger areas of the bone and into the joint.  If not caught early enough, like sepsis, osteomyelitis may require lower extremity amputation to prevent further damage. 

But how can bacteria get to your bones through the surrounding layers of skin, fat and muscle unless you have had a bad fracturewhere the bone penetrated the skin?  In children, an elevated amount of bacteria in the bloodstream can not only lead to sepsis, but also has a tendency to dwell in and infect the slow moving capillaries of still growing bones.  This is called hematogenous osteomyelitis in which the blood has carried the igniting agent for the bone infection.  In adults, “direct extension” osteomyelitis is the most common cause of bone infections, with the foot bones of diabetic patientsbeing at a very high risk.  Direct extension means that bacteria has infected a wound in the more superficial tissues, such as the skin or fat and then “extended” its way down to attack the bone.  Because many diabetic patients often have lost some or all of their sensation in their feet, a small cut or irritation can quickly develop into a major ulcerby the individual unknowingly continuing to irritate the sensationless area.  This injury then allows an easy route for bacteria to travel to and attack the bones of the foot.  Amputation is a serious risk in diabetic patients through this process. 

Amputation is a grave condition on its own for diabetic patients.  Within five years of one below the knee amputation, research has shown that risk of below the knee amputation of the other leg greatly increased.  The second amputation has an almost deadly effect, with increased mortality seen within the next five years.    It is for these reasons that even the smallest wound or ulcer of the foot or ankle must be taken very seriously by diabetic patients.  Regular self-examsand visits to your podiatrist at the first sign of injury, infection or bone painin any patient are critical to preventing and treating these deadly conditions. 

Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. If you would like to see a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio near Tuttle Crossing, call 614-885-3338 for an appointment.

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

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By drbhatia
August 29, 2011
Category: Foot Care

 

On Sunday August 21, Columbus, OH fans of the Cincinnati Bengals will have to travel all the way to New York City to see their team play the New York Jets.  The trip may be worth it to witness a Bengals win, which the odds are improved for by the fact that the Jet’s first string running back, Shonn Greene will be on the bench for the game.  Shonn Greene is not playing because team doctors recently caught the start of a skin infection in his foot and are now giving him time to recover while he takes antibiotics. 

While many people may think that skin infections of the foot only occur in people with diabetes, the elderly, or others with a compromised immune system, Shonn Greene shows that even a professional athlete at his peak level of health and fitness needs to watch for signs of infection in the foot and ankle. Shonn was receiving a local anesthetic to have a callus removed by the Jet’s team doctor when he pointed out another area of his foot that had been bothering him.  He was lucky for the callus bringing him in the presence of medical experts who were able to diagnose the painful area as a low grade skin infection.  For Shonn, increased pain was the first sign of an infectious process occurring.  As infection progresses, other common signs to watch for include: swelling, redness, tenderness, heat, and red streaks extending from the affected area.  Because his infection was caught early on, the Jets have made a statement that his infection is responding well to treatment and antibiotics.  Shonn’s infection also brought to mind for many teams, the importance of a clean training and locker room.  While the Jets believe that this was not the source of the infection, athletes must take extra care to keep their feet clean and dry.  Wearing shower shoes or flip flops when walking in moist areas where many other bare feet have walked such as locker rooms and public showers is also a good measure to avoid Athlete’s foot. 

A foot infection can spread quickly to become much more serious than just pain and swelling on the surface of the foot.  If allowed to progress, infections can reach the blood and bone, leading to osteomyelitis (a bone infection) or even worse can spread in the blood throughout the body leading to a bacteremia (blood infection) with systemic shock and possibly death.  Luckily, Shonn and hopefully anyone else with a suspicious wound or area of pain on their foot know to talk to an experienced podiatrist and get help immediately!  Prompt treatment of an infection can stop the infection before it gets to a more severe stage.

Please visit www.columbusfoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington. To schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Dublin, Ohio, near Tuttle Crossing Mall, please call 614-885-FEET (3338).

By Dr. Animesh (Andy) Bhatia

 

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Podiatrist - Animesh Bhatia, D.P.M., C.W.S. , Sarah Newby, D.P.M. , Columbus OH, 43235, Dublin, OH 43017, (614) 885-3338
If you are in search of an experienced podiatrist in Columbus Ohio, you have come to the right place. Our podiatrists in Columbus, OH and Dublin, OH are highly skilled in many aspects of podiatric treatments. Selecting a foot doctor in your area can be a difficult task, but it doesn't have to be, especially when you have Dr. Bhatia and Dr. Newby as options.