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Author(s): Kehinde Sunmboye and John L. Klein

Consider the diagnosis in any patient who has fever with joint pain and swelling, particularly if only one large joint is involved.

Priorities

Your clinical assessment should address the following points:

Aspirate the joint (Chapter 124) and send synovial fluid for cell count (in an EDTA tube; normal cell count is <180/mm3, most mononuclear); Gram stain; culture; and microscopy under polarized light for crystals. Other investigations needed urgently are given in Table 98.2.

Further Management

Outline


Organisms on Gram Stain of Synovial Fluid, or High Probability of Septic Arthritis!!navigator!!

Start antibiotic therapy IV (Table 98.3).

  • Intra-articular administration is not needed.
  • The antibiotic regimen may need modification in the light of blood and synovial fluid culture results: discuss this with a microbiologist.
  • Antibiotic therapy for non-gonococcal septic arthritis usually needs to be given for 2–4 weeks, initially IV, but may be switched to an appropriate oral agent in uncomplicated cases.
  • Gonococcal arthritis may be cured with just 1–2 weeks of therapy.

If septic arthritis is confirmed, seek advice on further management from a rheumatologist or orthopaedic surgeon.

  • Daily aspiration of the joint until an effusion no longer re-accumulates is an acceptable approach where access to the joint is easy (e.g. the knee).
  • Other larger joints (e.g. hip or shoulder) may be more effectively drained by arthroscopic washout.
  • While the infection is resolving, the joint should be immobilized using a splint or cast.
  • Physiotherapy should be started early.
  • Give an NSAID for pain relief (e.g. indomethacin or diclofenac).
  • In patients with gonococcal arthritis, a sexual health screen of the patient and his/her sexual partners should be offered.

No Organisms on Gram Stain of Synovial Fluid and Low Probability of Septic Arthritis!!navigator!!

Consider the other causes of acute arthritis (Table 28.1).

  • Pseudogout is the commonest cause of acute mono-or oligo-arthritis in the elderly.

    Hold off antibiotic therapy (pending the results of blood and synovial fluid culture for definite exclusion of infection).

  • Treat with an NSAID, covered with a proton-pump inhibitor in the elderly or patients with previous peptic ulceration).
  • If gout is confirmed (also check plasma urate) and fails to respond to an NSAID, use colchicine. Allopurinol should not be started until the acute attack has completely resolved.

Further Reading

Sharff KA, Richards EP, Townes JM (2013) Clinical management of septic arthritis. Curr Rheumatol Rep 15, 332. DOI: 10.1007/s11926-013-0332-4.