Cause Bacteria infect bones in either of two ways. The first is direct - bacteria may reach bone through an open wound, during surgery, as a result of a bone fracture that has broken the skin , or by way of an injection near the bone. But bacteria from infections elsewhere in the body can also travel through the bloodstream and so indirectly start a secondary infection in a bone. Though the disease is rare in the United States, children and adolescents are more likely to suffer osteomyelitis than adults. Symptoms you are likely to notice Onset of symptoms tends to be more sudden in children and may include severe pain and swelling in the affected bone, fever , and chills.
Fever is absent in up to a third of cases.
In adults the disease may begin as nothing more than a vague, localized pain in a bone. Symptoms your physician may observe Blood tests that reveal certain bacteria in the system will help a doctor confirm a diagnosis of osteomyelitis. A CT scan of the affected bones can also help confirm the presence of an abscess or other signs of bacterial infection. Signs of bone infection show up on X rays about ten days to two weeks after symptoms first appear. Treatment options Antibiotics are usually successful in treating osteomyelitis.