Bone Marrow Inflammation (Osteomyelitis): Drug Therapy

Therapeutic targets

• Pain relief
• Elimination of pathogens
• Avoidance of complications

Therapy recommendations

• Symptomatic therapy: analgesia (pain relief) according to WHO staging scheme:
  • Non-opioid analgesic (paracetamol, first-line agent).
  • Low-potency opioid analgesic (e.g., tramadol) + non-opioid analgesic.
  • High-potency opioid analgesic (eg, morphine) + non-opioid analgesic.
• If necessary, anti-inflammatory drugs / drugs that inhibit inflammation (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs), eg acetylsalicylic acid (ASS), ibuprofen.
• After taking tissue samples, a calculated therapy (v.a. beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, monobactams, clavulanic acid derivatives) is carried out until the antibiogram is available; fastest possible conversion to culture-specific antibiosis (antibiotic therapy) The duration of therapy is usually two weeks in children, four to six weeks in adults
• See also under “Further therapy“.