Osteomyelitis refers to inflammation of the bone due to infection. It is a rare but serious condition. Infection can reach bone several ways: It may spread directly from a nearby source such as an infected bed sore or ulcer, direct inoculation such as following penetrating trauma or surgery or may spread through the blood stream into bone. Acute infection, typically measured in days to weeks, is often characterized by redness, pain and swelling of the affected bone. Symptoms such as fever and rigors may also be present. Chronic osteomyelitis, measured in weeks to months/years, can be more subtle and may involve chronic pain and malaise or may have relatively few symptoms.
The first clue to the presence of chronic osteomyelitis may be a history of a non-healing ulcer or fracture, breakdown of a surgical wound, or the development of a sinus tract.
How Hyperbaric Oxygen can help it?
Hyperbaric Oxygen increases oxygen levels in infected tissues and bone, and can promote healing by helping to kill the bacteria that are causing it. These bacteria are typically anaerobic, which means that they thrive in low oxygen situations so Hyperbaric Oxygen hinders anaerobic growth.
Hyperbaric oxygen may increase how effective antibiotics are as the increased levels of oxygen under pressure may allow for them to penetrate deeper and reinstate the white blood cells ability to fight infections. The oxygen may also allow for the tissues deprived of oxygen to heal and can decrease the inflammation that may be caused from having refractory osteomyelitis surgically removed.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recognised and is an available treatment for Osteomyelitis (Refactory) under the EU Regulation on Cross-Border Healthcare 2014 in health services across Europe and for example in the Emile Mayrisch Hospital, Luxembourg https://www.chem.lu/