What should you know about osteomyelitis caused by diabetes?

Nerve damage may make a blister, cut, or pressure injury difficult to feel. Reduced blood flow can limit delivery of oxygen and infection-fighting cells, while high blood glucose can make wound recovery harder. An ulcer on the toe or sole may deepen beneath the skin before it is noticed. Bone infection is more concerning when a wound is deep, has persisted, drains, exposes bone, or sits over a prominent joint.

Have any foot wound examined early, even if it is not painful. The clinician may check sensation, pulses, skin temperature, wound depth, blood tests, and imaging. Treatment can combine wound cleaning, pressure relief, antibiotics, circulation care, and removal of unhealthy tissue. Continue the diabetes plan provided by your care team, inspect both feet each day, use prescribed footwear, and avoid walking barefoot while a wound is healing.

Arrange same-day assessment for spreading redness, warmth, swelling, foul drainage, a new black area, fever, or a wound that suddenly enlarges. Emergency care is needed for confusion, severe drowsiness, fainting, rapid breathing, or feeling profoundly unwell. Loss of pain does not make a foot wound safe when sensation is reduced.

Ask how deep the wound is, whether circulation or sensation is affected, whether bone imaging is needed, how to offload the foot, and how diabetes treatment should be managed during infection.