Septic arthritis

Septic arthritis is an infection of a joint secondary to articular localization of a specific bacteria, except that in this case it is a type of gonococcal infection. It is not uncommon for the person with arthritis to be a child aged under three years, the place in question appears to be especially prevalent in the adult hip and knee location.

Sufferers of this infection have an increased risk of co morbidity (i.e. other infections can occur with possible serious consequences for the body).

Symptoms

Among the various symptoms and signs are swollen joints, fever, pain, lack of control whether active or passive. Septic arthritis usually involves a single limb, unlike the multi gonococcal.

Risk factors

The atrire is favored by pre-existing pathologies. They can be divided into: Spontaneous, such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis and immuno-suppression. In Neisseria gonorrhoeae, when there is disseminated gonococcal infection, other pathogens that can lead to septic arthritis which is not gonococcal, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli and streptococci. Iatrogenic following several surgeries, cover the area concerned and articulate use drugs intravenously. Traumatic diffusion in cases of immuno-suppression.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is the appearance of the joint affected (it is often a monoarthritis), which is red, swollen and painful, the presence of systemic symptoms such as fever and increased indices of inflammation (ESR and C-reactive protein) and an analysis of synovial fluid collected through artrocentesi that show purulent. It is important to differentiate from a diagnosis of gout, the pseudogout, Lyme disease, viral forms and Reiter’s syndrome.

Therapies

The disease is serious because in addition to the problems of articular ankylosis and fibrosis, there may be a systemic spread of infection (sepsis) that can be life threatening. Concomitant rheumatoid arthritis is also the result of that disease when aggravated.