deep tissue cellulitis
My husband had what was thought to be a spider bite in oct.08, and we went to the local hospital and it was lanced open,by a pa.He now has lost 20 percent of the achilles tendon usage, and today he went back to the m.d. and cellulitis has set up.He is going for bone scan on mon. to make certain that he dosent have osteomyelitis......He saw his primary care m.d. today, and the doc said that the scan was o.k., but on 12-5-08 the doc said that he had deep tissue cellulitis.My husband has been on different antibiotics now for two months, and is having problems with his stomach(cramps,diarrhea).I am afraid that he may be beginning to develop c-diff infection of the bowel.Our problem is that we can not get this doc to listen, and to do the appropriate tests needed.He has had him off work two months now, and now all of a sudden today,the doc says that my husband can return to work in a week, and if he goes back to work, and still has infection and has to get off work again then the short-term disability plan can not be used, and will probably result in his termination at work.I feel like the doc is tired of treating my husband,and we dont know what to do from here.Any advice would be appreciated!!!!
The bone scan is a good idea, but the primary care physicians are not well equipped to handle special problems. This doctor probably is getting frustrated and should recognize when it is time to refer to a specialist. A podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon would be a good place to start. Possibly an infectious disease specialist.
As a specialist, I see it time and time again. A primary doctor has not referred the patient to me soon enough. Some problems are best caught early and treated early by a specialist before things get out of hand. Some insurance systems reward primary doctors for not referring patients, so the primary doctor's mind set is to treat everything that walks in the door. Well, you know the old saying "jacks of all trades, but the masters of nothing". When things are not going well and problems are not getting better, insist on a specialist for special problems.
Dr. Christina Lasich, MD
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