I have been diagnosed with bone marrow infection due to the surgical return of a ripped off leg. been told only option is removal of leg and good chance it will still be fatal if removed. Was told that introduction of this marrow infection to my blood stream will stop my heart. What is this infection called?
Hi, Welcome to Chat Doctor. Infection of the bone marrow with the surrounding bone is called osteomyelitis. This infection is most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Usually this infection is caused if any penetrating injury through skin which reaches the bone or from blood which is carrying bacteria to the bone. When one of the major bones are involved like bones of the thigh, leg or arm, there are chances of infection spreading to the blood called as septicemia. If there is a fracture of a major bone, there could be dislodgement of the blood clot of the fracture which could cause embolic and block pulmonary vessels causing pulmonary embolism. This affects the heart. I suggest you discuss with your treating doctor the various ways of treating osteomyelitis without surgery. Identification of the bacteria causing infection is very important. Surgery under antibiotic cover will prevent spread of infection to a large extent. I hope I have helped you with this answer. Thanks