recurrent cellulitis in transtibial amputee
Matt Bailey
Description
Collection
Title:
recurrent cellulitis in transtibial amputee
Creator:
Matt Bailey
Date:
7/13/2015
Text:
Help me, Obi Wan Kinobe, you are my only hope....
I have been working with a woman for several years who gets cellulitis in
her residual limb regularly. She sometimes gets it when she does too much
(which by most standards is very little), but she gets it every time she
tries a change with her prosthesis.
It starts out with redness, then small water blisters. The water blisters
pop and then she gets cellulitis which mean's a big course of antibiotics,
sometimes IV, and sometimes a hospital stay. The water blisters can be
anywhere on her residual limb.
We have tried several different liners over the years and several socket
designs.
Its at the point that she would rather use a wheelchair than keep going
through this.
She isn't diabetic, but does have RA.
This time, we tried a check socket. It fit very well, was comfortable and
she wore it home for a test drive. After half an hour she took the leg off
and had a red area (I haven't seen it). Even though she didn't put the leg
back on, she got the blisters over the weekend, and was in the ER last
night with cellulitis again!
Her infectious disease doctor advised her to give up on prosthetics and
just use a wheel chair.
It does not appear to be a hygiene issue.
Have any of you seen anything like this? Any solutions?
Thanks!
Matt
*Matt Bailey CPO, LPO*
*Fellow American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists*
*President, Florida O&P Services*
*palmbeachprosthetics.com < <URL Redacted>>*
I have been working with a woman for several years who gets cellulitis in
her residual limb regularly. She sometimes gets it when she does too much
(which by most standards is very little), but she gets it every time she
tries a change with her prosthesis.
It starts out with redness, then small water blisters. The water blisters
pop and then she gets cellulitis which mean's a big course of antibiotics,
sometimes IV, and sometimes a hospital stay. The water blisters can be
anywhere on her residual limb.
We have tried several different liners over the years and several socket
designs.
Its at the point that she would rather use a wheelchair than keep going
through this.
She isn't diabetic, but does have RA.
This time, we tried a check socket. It fit very well, was comfortable and
she wore it home for a test drive. After half an hour she took the leg off
and had a red area (I haven't seen it). Even though she didn't put the leg
back on, she got the blisters over the weekend, and was in the ER last
night with cellulitis again!
Her infectious disease doctor advised her to give up on prosthetics and
just use a wheel chair.
It does not appear to be a hygiene issue.
Have any of you seen anything like this? Any solutions?
Thanks!
Matt
*Matt Bailey CPO, LPO*
*Fellow American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists*
*President, Florida O&P Services*
*palmbeachprosthetics.com < <URL Redacted>>*
Citation
Matt Bailey, “recurrent cellulitis in transtibial amputee,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/237525.
