Causes and symptoms of septic arthritis
October 17, 2008
Septic arthritis is infectious arthritis, the cause of infection being microbes such as bacteria, virus and fungi. The microorganisms make the joint fluid of one or more joints infected. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Haemophilus influenzae are the most common causes of septic arthritis. Other bacteria that cause the disorder include mycobacterium tuberculosis and the spirochete bacteria. In extreme cases, E. coli and Pseudomonas spp. also cause septic arthritis. The viral reasons for septic arthritis are Hepatitis A, B and C, herpes viruses, HIV, parvovirus B19, HTLV-1 and adenovirus. Septic arthritis is caused by fungi varieties such as coccidiomyces, histoplasma and blastomyces.
Certain ‘risk situations’ are identified which are found to be favourable for the development of septic arthritis. Medications taken to suppress the immune system, previous joint disorders, sickle cell diseases, intravenous drug abuse etc are some of these risk situations. In people who have these risk conditions, ‘unusual joints’ may be affected. In normal case, the joints prone to septic arthritis are larger ones such as knees, ankles, hips, and elbows.
Apart from joint pain, the other major symptoms of septic arthritis are chills, swelling, stiffness, redness and fever. It is by the verification of the joint fluid that septic arthritis is diagnosed. After collecting a sample of this fluid, it is analysed in a laboratory. An increased number of white blood cells in the fluid indicate inflammation. Apart from WBC count, sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein are also considered during the blood test. An advanced culture of the fluid will bring to light the kind of the infection caused.
Doctors prescribe antibiotics as part of the treatment of septic arthritis. The medication depends upon the lab result of the joint culture. The infected joint fluid gets drained away completely. The drainage is usually affected with a needle and syringe. In case of any complication, open joint surgery is done to clear the infected joint.
St.Botanica Cosmetics
Recent Articles
Follow acupressure to get rid of pain
What do you do when you suffer from pains and aches in your body? You might go to a doctor for an injection or you might take some painkillers or apply some pain balm or spray
What your tongue tells about your health
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. This may sound metaphorical and you may have come across such sayings on tongue
How to tackle wisdom teeth problems
Wisdom teeth usually appear when you are 17-25 years old. These are the last set of teeth to appear. Sometimes people older than 30 years develop wisdom teeth
What causes teeth discoloration
Teeth discoloration is quite evident in humans. On discoloration teeth becomes yellow, pale, discolored and even stained. There are many factors that affect tooth discoloration
How to tackle bad breath
How often have you felt that people step back from you when you talk to them or somebody commented on your bad breath? If you have felt so, you are suffering from bad breath (halitosis)
