NURS 611 Assignment 13.1: Explain the Musculoskeletal Patho

Assignment 13.1: Musculoskeletal Patho Osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis is an infectious bone disease cause by an infection of the bone. Infections are most commonly caused by bacteria but can also be caused by fungi, viruses, and parasites. There are three main categories for these bone infections which are hematogenous spread (also known as blood borne), contiguous contamination, and vascular or neurologic insufficiency associated infection (Brit et al., 2016). Hematogenous osteomyelitis is typically caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and is a result of an outside infection such as a sinus infection, ear infection, or dental infection (Chiappini et al., 2016)). Infections are caused by widespread into the blood stream and then enter the bone. Individuals who are mostly affected by this disease are infants, children, and older adults. Contiguous contamination is usually caused by a direct exposure to the bacteria. An example of this would be an infection to an open fracture or infection after a joint replacement surgery. Vascular or neurologic insufficiency associated infection is typically caused by poor blood supply or infection via diabetic wounds. Once the pathogen has entered the bone, it provokes an inflammatory response which then causes then causes exudate seals the bone's canaliculi (McCance & Huether, 2018). This exudate then spills into the bone marrow cavity which causes a disruption of the blood vessels and eventually leads to necrosis and death to the part of the bone that is infected. Clinical manifestations of osteomyelitis will vary from person to person depending on the type of infecting organism, site of infection, and age of the infected individual. Hematogenous infections will have a slow onset and symptoms can be very vague. Typical symptoms include fever, fatigue, and weight loss.