Osteomyelitis is a disease caused by an infection. Manifested in the form of inflammation. The lower leg, thighs, humerus, vertebrae, and jaw joints are most commonly affected. Osteomyelitis is a purulent-necrotic process that develops in the bone marrow and surrounding soft tissues. Usually, the disease occurs in boys (2 times more often than in girls) due to high mobility, fights, injuries, falls.
Why is childhood osteomyelitis an extremely dangerous disease?
Osteomyelitis in children (a photo of the external manifestations of the disease can be seen in this article) is a dangerous disease. The disease affects the bone marrow. The infection is concentrated directly in the bones and almost does not appear outwardly. Therefore, diagnosing the disease in children at an early stage is quite difficult, since they cannot accurately describe the symptoms and sensations. If acute osteomyelitis in children is not treated on time, then deformation of the child's skeleton may occur. This disease can becomecause disability and severe consequences.
Forms of osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis is divided into two forms. The first is specific. This is a secondary disease that is caused by bacteria after tuberculosis, syphilis or brucellosis. But it is rare in children. The second form is non-specific. Occurs due to purulent cocci and microbes.
Views
Osteomyelitis in a child can be of several types:
- Hematogenous. It is provoked by microorganisms that penetrate the bone tissue through the bloodstream. There is an acute and chronic form. The second is when the inflammation lasts more than four months. The chronic form is divided into two subspecies. Primary osteomyelitis, in which there are no clear symptoms. And secondary - as a result of an acute hematogenous form.
- Non-hematogenous (otherwise - exogenous or post-traumatic). It occurs due to injuries, fractures, gunshot wounds, bone inflammation.
- Odontogenic. This is an inflammation of the jaw bones. The disease occurs due to dental diseases. In children, the tissues of the jaw are permeated with frequent blood vessels. Therefore, inflammation spreads at a high speed. But tissue recovery after treatment is no less rapid. This type of osteomyelitis occurs mainly in children between the ages of three and twelve.
- Contact. This is a type of exogenous osteomyelitis. Occurs when purulent inflammation passes to the bone from the soft tissues that surround it.
Reasonsoccurrence of osteomyelitis
The main causes of osteomyelitis in children are purulent infections and injuries. Often the disease is caused by:
- otitis media;
- furunculosis;
- pyelonephritis;
- impetigo;
- burns;
- fractures;
- wounds.
Staphylococcus aureus is found in a number of common pathogens. It is found in osteomyelitis in eighty percent of cases. In the remaining twenty percent, patients are diagnosed with various sticks (Pfeiffer, intestinal), salmonella and streptococcus. Acute odontogenic osteomyelitis begins due to caries-affected teeth. The culprit is the pathogenic bacterial flora found in the pulp and periodontium.
Osteomyelitis in children: symptoms of the disease
Main symptoms of osteomyelitis:
- chill;
- arthritis of limbs;
- swelling and redness of lesions;
- weakness and lethargy;
- rapid heart rate;
- increasing bone pain;
- high leukocytosis, positive blood culture and leukopenia;
- Changes may not initially be seen on x-rays, they appear later.
The symptoms of osteomyelitis depend on the affected area of the bone and the age of the child. Newborns are lethargic, nervous, suffer from lack of appetite, they have a high temperature. Sometimes vomiting and diarrhea occur.
If you watch the child, you can see how the baby takes care of the limb (does not touch itobjects and tries not to move). The affected area may turn red, sometimes swelling appears. After a few days they increase. If treatment is not started in time, then purulent metastases will begin to multiply.
Older children experience the same symptoms, but they are more pronounced. Inflammation takes longer to develop, and redness and swelling can be seen only a week after the onset of the disease.
In odontogenic osteomyelitis, pus flows out of the dental canals and gums. The teeth that are next to the patient are too mobile. Starts:
- facial swelling;
- skin and mucous membranes turn pale;
- temperature rising;
- chills and general weakness;
- babies can experience seizures;
- vomit;
- indigestion.
This is due to severe intoxication of the body. Primary chronic osteomyelitis in a child is manifested by blurred symptoms. There are small pains, but they do not have a clear localization.
In the secondary chronic form, remissions and exacerbations alternate (sometimes for years). In the first case, the child has no complaints, in the second, pain on palpation and fever begin. Fistulas may open with the release of pus. With this form of the disease, the liver, heart and kidneys are affected.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the disease is complicated, since hematogenous osteomyelitis in children can be confused with rheumatism, purulent arthritis or Ewing's sarcoma, the symptoms of which are similar. Sometimes at the first signa malignant infection is suspected.
Treatment methods
Treatment of osteomyelitis in children is carried out using methods that affect the microorganisms that caused the disease and directly on the affected bones:
- immunotherapy;
- staphylococcal antiphagin, toxoid, vaccine and bacteriophage are injected under the skin to lose the reaction to the allergen;
- vitamin therapy;
- antibiotics prescribed;
- pressure on the bone marrow, its roots and blood vessels is eliminated;
- pathological formations that compress the nerves are removed;
- the affected area is fixed;
- surgical operations are performed with the dissection of the periosteum and detachment of the inflamed part from the bone;
- drainage is installed to drain the pus.
Treatment
Osteomyelitis in a child begins with antibiotic treatment. They are important in the early stages of the disease to stop the inflammatory process. Mostly prescribed drugs containing penicillin. The course of treatment is from one to three months. At the same time, medicines for thrush are being prescribed, as the microflora of the body is disturbed due to antibiotics and this disease can occur.
Sometimes surgery is necessary. The doctor opens abscesses, flushes the canals from pus. Local anesthesia is used during operations. With odontogenic osteomyelitis, the main treatment is surgery. During it, a diseased tooth is removed, abscesses are opened, wounds are drained. Assigned by:
- disintoxication therapy;
- preparations containing calcium;
- antihistamines;
- antibiotics;
- vitamin complexes;
- non-specific immunomodulators;
- diet (dairy and plant foods and drinking plenty of water).
Osteomyelitis in a child continues to be treated after the hospital. Massage and physiotherapy exercises are carried out on an outpatient basis. Sanitation of the affected areas and balneotherapy are carried out. The child undergoes inpatient treatment regularly twice a year. During this period, desensitizing, laser, magnetic, vitamin therapies are carried out. Immunomodulators are used. Electrophoresis and antibiotics are prescribed. Once every six months, an x-ray is taken, then for control once a year for three years. The child may be sent to a spa treatment.
Prevention
To prevent the development of this disease, you need to:
- observe the correct mode of wakefulness and sleep;
- keep a he althy lifestyle;
- don't be nervous;
- eat right;
- strengthen immunity;
- get regular medical checkups.
For all kinds of ailments, you should contact the clinic and do not self-medicate. Eighty percent of all diseases can be cured at an early stage, the main thing is to make a diagnosis in time.
