What should you know about draining osteomyelitis?

Osteomyelitis is an infection in bone. When it drains, fluid or pus may come through a wound, opening, or sinus tract near the affected area. The skin can be red, warm, swollen, tender, or slow to heal. Drainage may continue even when pain is modest, so comfort alone does not show that the infection has settled.

A clinician may examine the wound, check circulation and sensation, and arrange blood tests or imaging. A sample of the drainage can sometimes help identify the organism and guide treatment. Bone infection can follow an injury, surgery, an ulcer, or spread from nearby tissue.

Arrange a same-day medical review, especially if the drainage is new, increasing, foul-smelling, or accompanied by fever. Keep the area covered with a clean dressing and wash your hands before and after changing it. Do not squeeze the opening, probe it, or apply leftover antibiotics or harsh antiseptics. Avoid soaking the wound, and follow any prescribed antibiotic plan exactly.

Bring a list of medicines and explain when the drainage began, its colour and amount, recent procedures, and any history of diabetes or reduced immunity. Treatment may involve antibiotics, wound care, drainage of a collection, or removal of infected tissue. In some cases, reconstruction such as [Bone Grafting](/treatments/trauma-and-fracture-care/bone-grafting/) is considered after infection control.

Go to urgent care now for confusion, faintness, severe weakness, rapidly spreading redness, severe or escalating pain, a high fever, or a foot or limb that becomes cold, pale, numb, or difficult to move. These changes can signal a spreading infection or a blood-flow problem. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, or an immune condition, use a lower threshold for urgent assessment.

Ask which bone and tissues are involved, whether the drainage should be cultured, how long treatment may take, how to dress the wound, and which symptoms mean you should return immediately.