The National

Since Orlando is only a couple hours away, I was excited to see that the National Scientific Seminar of the American Podiatric Medical Association was to be held in Orlando this year.  I decided that I would attend my first national conference and just returned home to Spring Hill.  Podiatrists from all over the country came to Orlando this past weekend.  I must say I was very impressed with the conference.  I have, of course, attended many conferences more regional in the past, but this one was so much bigger.

In addition to well respected speakers, the exhibit hall was great.  I have again found products and services to make the practice and care I provide to my patients even better.  I am eager to get to the office Monday morning and get to work!

The SAM Conference

I spent an extended weekend at the Florida Podiatric Medical Association's Scientific and Management Conference at the Orlando Hilton.  It was a very valuable weekend to me and I believe that I learned some things that will improve the care I provide to my patients.  Some of you may know that my podiatry practice is transitioning to being a solo private practice.  For my patients, you will see some differences such as in the next few months you might have to fill out some new paperwork and any bills will come from a different place.  However, I will continue to provide the best care that I can provide.  Hopefully, you will notice some increases in convenience.  I am exploring some resources to provide more services at the practice.  For example, instead of simply telling a patient to go and buy a shoe insert at Wal-Mart or the sporting goods store; I am looking to provide the best products I can find for the best value right at the office.  I am also looking to update my website on which I look to add some additional helpful information.

I have blogged before about my 10 years in private practice.  These years of experience have taken me through Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Polk County (Florida), and finally here in Hernando County.  Each one of these practices afforded me valuable experience.  I saw a lot, and learned a lot.  This helped me formulate the absolute best way to care for my patients.  My philosophy is to treat every patient the way I would want myself, my wife, my mother, my father, or my children treated.  I am excited about the future and the care I will provide my patients.

Osteomyelitis

Since it has been awhile since I have posted on this blog, I wanted to post on a topic that I have seen a lot of patients develop recently.  I decided to talk a little bit about osteomyelitis, or bacterial infection of bone.

Working at the wound care center, I have found that a great deal of patients with chronic ulcerations can develop infection in the bone under the ulcer.  I have also found that a doctor needs to suspect this whenever there is a chronic wound that is not healing.  To say it in simple terms, infected bone can "die" and needs to leave the body and this can often be why a wound will not heal.  If infected bone can not find a way to "exit" the body, this infection can lead to a localized infection or abscess.

Sometimes a simple x-ray is enough to suspect osteomyelitis but often more advanced studies such as a bone scan or MRI are necessary to form a diagnosis.  The only definitive test, however, is a biopsy of the bone.  In my experience, though, MRI / bone scan is pretty reliable and a bone biopsy is often deferred due to its invasive nature.

Treatment for osteomyelitis includes more than 6 weeks of IV antibiotics and / or resection of the infected bone (amputation).  Obviously, amputation is always a last resort.  Medicine has made great advances to treat osteomyelitis.  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one such treatment.  The clinician must also assess other issues such as a patient's circulation to heal the infected bone and the patient's nutrition.

If you have a chronic wound that will not heal, do not delay treatment.  See you podiatrist if it is a foot or ankle wound or wound care specialist for any chronic wounds.