Bone infection..................?

Question

What are the risks and benefits of having regular I.V./antibiotic treatments for bone infection of the foot.

Answer 1

It's always best to have this discussion with your doctor, but to give you a general answer: the risks and benefits are many.

The type of antibiotic they give will depend on the type of bug they believe to be responsible for the infection, and the possible side effects depend greatly on the type of antibiotic. Some can be toxic to the kidneys, some to the ears, some can cause tendon damage, some can cause diarrhea, nausea, and so on and so forth. All carry the risk of an allergic reaction if you've never had the antibiotic before and the allergic reaction can itself range from anything from a little bit of itchy rash to full blown anaphylaxis with trouble breathing and a severe drop in blood pressure. All this fearmongering aside, for *most* people the side effects of antibiotics are minimal and certainly tolerable.

It is also very, very important to keep in mind that while antibiotics have certain risks, the normal course and potential complications of the disease process itself need to be taken into account as well. Assuming "bone infection" here means osteomyelitis then this point is even more pertinent. Osteomyelitis is an infection that should generally not be trivialized, and it is an infection that does not frequently resolve without antibiotic support. Untreated osteomyelitis can spread to neighboring bone and tissue, the blood, other aspects of your body. Severe problems are not common with osteomyelitis, but that's because most all cases are treated with antibiotics.

Everyone's case is different of course, but giving antibiotics for osteomyelitis is the normal standard of care in medicine for a reason. Do your research, though, and make your decision comfortable and with confidence.