What is osteomyelitis?
Osteomyelitis is an infection in the bone. Infection is more common in the long bones of the body, but it can affect any bone in the body.
Many different types of bacteria and viruses can cause osteomyelitis. The most common type of bacteria is called Staphylococcus aureus (commonly called staph). The bacteria can enter the body in a variety of ways including:
Is osteomyelitis common?
Osteomyelitis can occur in children of any age, but it's more common in premature infants and babies born with complications.
What are the symptoms ofosteomyelitis?
While symptoms can vary from child to child, the most common include:
- tenderness or pain in the infected area
- your child limits use or doesn't use the infected extremity at all
- your child typically guards or protects this area from being touched or looked at
- swelling and redness in the infected area
- warmth around the infected area