Amputation & Antibiotics

I am a Type II diabetic who recently had to have the third toe on my right foot amputated because of a bone infection.  After this was a week in the hospital, and then 14 days of Rocephalin at an infusion center.  I am on my second week of the 14 days and my blood has been checked every 7 days, (I have a picc line) today the RN said my SED rate was 35, and likely due to inflammation.  She assured me this was nothing to worry about but that it may extend my infusion therapy by 'another week or two'.

Is this indeed nothing to be alarmed about? And by inflammation does she mean caused by remaining infection?

Thank you in advance.

[Anita Ramsetty, MD]

Hi,
Your sed rate definitely does up with infection and is higher with an active infection. In your case, it is probably still elevated because of some continued presence of infection that needs to be cleared, as well as ongoing immune processes related to repairing your surgery site. Did they know what your sed rate was BEFORE your surgery and antibiotics? This will give you the best indication of how things are going instead of one point in time( e.g if it has not changed, that would be more concerning versus saying that your sed rate dropped from 112 to 35 after treatment was started)
Take care.