Pages: 41 - 44
Article topics: Antimicrobial stewardship, Diagnosis, Palliative wound care, Pressure ulcers, Wound infection
This second paper in the series on the assessment and management of osteomyelitis associated with pressure ulcers focuses on diagnosis, management, and prevention within community and primary care practice. It outlines key diagnostic principles, emphasising that confirmation of osteomyelitis is typically achieved through multidisciplinary assessment rather than a single investigation, and that the primary role in community settings is to recognise, document, and escalate appropriately. Management approaches include antimicrobial therapy, surgical considerations, pressure redistribution, and optimisation of health and wellbeing. The paper also highlights antimicrobial stewardship, the importance of person-centred goal setting, and the role of palliative wound care in individuals with advanced frailty or limited healing potential. It concludes with a call for action, advocating improved multidisciplinary collaboration, greater consistency in clinical pathways, and strengthened data capture to reduce variation and support safer, more effective care.