tailbone infection and antibiotic resistance
- microbiogirl
- NealC
- Aureus
- eav1986
- NealC
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» microbiogirl - tailbone infection and antibiotic resistance
My boyfriend recently thought he unknowingly broken his tailbone because he was experiencing severe pain and had a lump which he thought was his tailbone. He went to the doctors and they had told him that his tailbone was infected. They precsribed antibiotics without even testing to see what organism is was, so the antibiotic he received was broad range.The doctor he went to is a sports doctor for a university and he said that he has treated 3 other athletes for the same problem. I've never heard of this before, and how does your tailbone get infected when it's an internal bone.
Second of all, I know that it would be a pain trying to figure out exaclty what organism was causing an infection, but don't you think that with the increasing antibiotic resistance of microorganisms, the medical establishment would try to determine the organism so narrower spectrum antibiotic could be administered? Is there anything being done to try to alleviate the problem of improper prescription of antibiotics?
-- posted by microbiogirl
» NealC - Re: tailbone infection and antibiotic resistance
In response to message posted by microbiogirl:Most bone infections that do not result from trauma to the area result from an infection of the blood. The bacteria get into the blood stream by various means and then infect the bone from the blood. The physicians probably did not culture your boyfriend's infection because the trauma resulting from collecting the sample could have made things worse. Very few organisms cause bone infections and so treatment without culturing for the organism is the least likely to result in further complications. Hope that helps.
The only way to stop needless and unwarranted antibiotic use is for everyone (physicians and patients) to realise a pill can't help in every illness. In fact antibiotics do not cure people. They only lower the number of microbes to the level that our immune systems can then mop up and eliminate all the invaders. Many times our immune system is the only solution to eliminating infections. Hope that helps.
-- posted by NealC
» Aureus - Re: Re: tailbone infection and antibiotic resistance
In response to message posted by NealC:I had the same problem that your boyfriend had only my doctor told me i had an abcess. It was extremely painful and he said the only way it would go away is to "pop" it surgically. then when that wound healed, he cut the wound out to make sure it wouldn't re-occur.
-- posted by Aureus
» eav1986 - Lump On Tailbone
I think it's always been there, but recently a lump on my tailbone has grown, and causes discomfort when I sit. One day I believe it flared up and it hurt to sit, or even walk slowly. I felt it, and it appears to be soft, but it also hurts when I touch it...I looked on the internet and came across Pilonidal disease..could this be what I have? Should I get checked out as soon as possible?-- posted by eav1986
» NealC - Re: Lump On Tailbone
In response to Lump On Tailbone posted by eav1986:Yes you should have a physician look at this right away.
-- posted by NealC
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