{"id":16270,"date":"2023-08-10T19:48:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T19:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/septic-arthritis-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T07:08:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T07:08:01","slug":"septic-arthritis-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/septic-arthritis-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Septic Arthritis -Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Is Septic Arthritis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Septic Arthritis, also known as infectious arthritis, is a joint infection. It occurs when a joint or fluid around the joint is infected by a virus or bacteria. The infection usually starts from another part of the body and spreads to the joint tissue through the bloodstream. The infection may also be caused by an open wound, injections, or surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Septic arthritis usually occurs in a single joint and mainly affects large joints such as the hip, shoulder, or knee. It is more commonly seen in children, older adults, and people who indulge in illegal drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the Common Symptoms of Septic Arthritis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The symptoms of septic arthritis vary according to the patient’s age and the medications they have been taking. The most common symptoms of septic arthritis include:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Swelling of the affected joint<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Severe pain, worsening with movement<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Redness and warmth around the affected joint<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Fatigue Fever<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Chills<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Reduced appetite<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Weakness<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Rapid heart rate<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Irritability<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/span><\/p>\n

    What are the Causes of Septic Arthritis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Septic arthritis is caused by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. The most common microbe responsible for septic arthritis is Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph infection). The condition usually develops when an infection spreads to a joint through the bloodstream, like a urinary tract infection or skin infection. In a few cases, germs may also enter the joint space through a puncture wound, surgery near a joint, or drug injection.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Some common microbes that are found to be septic arthritis causes include:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Staphylococci:<\/strong> They are the most common cause of skin infections.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Streptococci: <\/strong>This group of bacteria causes numerous diseases in humans.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Haemophilus influenza: <\/strong>This bacteria is responsible for infections in the bronchi, trachea, and larynx.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Gram-negative bacilli:<\/strong> This group of bacteria includes E. coli and causes infections in the gut.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Gonococci: <\/strong>This bacteria is responsible for gonorrhoea in humans.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Viruses like HIV can cause joint infections in people across age groups.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      How is Septic Arthritis Diagnosed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      Septic arthritis is diagnosed using the followings arthritis tests:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Blood Tests:<\/strong> A blood test WBC is used to look for signs of infection in the blood. A sample of your blood is taken with a needle and tested for signs of infection.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Joint Fluid Analysis:<\/strong> Infections can cause changes in the colour, consistency, makeup, and volume of the fluid present within and around the joint. A fluid sample will be removed from the affected joint using a needle. This fluid will be tested in the laboratory to determine the presence of any microorganisms. Once detected, it will help the doctor prescribe the right medication for the treatment.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Imaging tests:<\/strong> X-rays of the affected joint may be done to assess the damage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        What are the treatment options for Septic Arthritis?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

        In most cases, septic arthritis is treated with antibiotic drugs and joint damage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Joint drainage: <\/strong>Joint drainage is a procedure involving the removal of  infected fluid around the joint. This drainage may be performed using different methods, including:<\/li>\n
        • Needle: <\/strong>The doctor may choose to remove the fluid by inserting a needle into the joint space.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Arthroscopy: <\/strong>In this procedure, a flexible tube fitted with a camera is inserted into the joint through small incisions in the skin. Drainage tubes and suction are then used to remove the infected fluid from the affected joint.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Open surgery:<\/strong> Open surgery might be required in certain joints like the hip, which may be different from drain through arthroscopy or needle.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Antibiotics Drugs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Before the doctor can prescribe the right medication, the first step is to identify the microbes causing the infection. Once identified, the appropriate antibiotics are provided through a vein in the arm. You may later be able to move to oral antibiotics as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Treatment usually lasts between 2 and 6 weeks. Antibiotics carry numerous side effects, such as nausea, diarrhoea, and vomiting. Treatment usually lasts between 2 and 6 weeks. <\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          • Removal of Replacement Joint<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            In case the affected joint is an artificial joint, it would have to be removed and replaced temporarily with joint spacers. Joint spacers are made using antibiotic cement. Once the infection subsides completely, a replacement joint may be implanted after several months.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Septic Arthritis, also known as infectious arthritis, is a joint infection. It occurs when a joint or fluid around the joint is infected by a virus or bacteria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[204],"tags":[468],"class_list":["post-16270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diseases","tag-septic-arthritis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16270"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16739,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16270\/revisions\/16739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}