Septic Arthritis Pediatrics eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: Septic arthritis in infancy and childhood is a true clinical emergency. Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of septic arthritis can result in disastrous complications, including complete destruction of the articular cartilage and the underlying epiphysis, loss of the adjacent growth plate, and dislocation of the joint. With prompt treatment, the condition may be cured and sequelae avoided; the clinician must be alert to a diagnosis that can be subtle, particularly in the young child or infant. Pain with passive motion is the most consistent finding in septic arthritis, and the diagnosis must be considered in any joint with this presentation. This article focuses on the most common presentations of septic arthritis as it occurs in infancy and childhood. Important variations from these common presentations are seen in septic arthritis in the neonate and with gonococcal arthritis.
Synonyms and related keywords: joint infections, septic joint, suppurative arthritis, bacterial arthritis, acute septic arthritis, pyogenic arthritis, gonococcal arthritis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, H influenzae type b, Staphylococcus aureus, S aureus
Author: Edwards P Schwentker, MD