← Chapter 10
Medical-Surgical Nursing II · Chapter 10

Red Leg, Deep Bone, Sick Valve

In skin, bone and valve infection the drug is only half the treatment — drainage, debridement, hardware removal and valve surgery are the other half. Toggle findings on the leg until the diagnosis declares itself and watch pain out of proportion change the answer from a prescription to an operating room. Then pick the test that actually settles a deep infection, and sort a call list into what waits and what does not.