Osteomyelitis
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Musculoskeletalhigh priorityneeds review
Osteomyelitis
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Bone infection from bloodstream spread, open fracture, surgery, or contiguous wound.
- Infection compromises bone blood flow and can become chronic.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics by class | Often requires prolonged therapy. |
Nursing actions
- Assess fever, localized bone pain, swelling, drainage, and labs.
- Administer antibiotics as ordered and monitor line safety if long-term IV therapy.
- Support nutrition and wound care.
Complications
- Sepsis
- Chronic infection
- Pathologic fracture
NCLEX cues
- Bone pain plus fever after open fracture/wound.
- Long antibiotic course.
Memory hooks
- Osteo is infection in bone.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.