Osteomyelitis in the diabetic patient: diagnosis and treatment. Part 1: Overview, diagnosis, and microbiology.

Foot ulcerations are common among people with diabetes and often lead to mixed infections that require hospitalization and create significant challenges for clinicians. Many result in contiguous bone infections. Regimens used to treat osteomyelitis often are seen as controversial. A subtle balance between medical and surgical therapy is necessary if a potentially curative outcome is to be achieved. The following article is one of a two-part series. This, the first manuscript, discusses the diagnosis and microbiology of contiguous osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot.