The management of septic arthritis

Abstract

Septic arthritis--infection with resulting inflammation within a joint--is an emergency. Not only can it rapidly destroy a joint or irreversibly impair joint function, it may be fatal. So although the condition is not common, affecting between 2 and 10 per 100,000 people each year in the UK, it must be recognised and tackled promptly. Here we review the management of septic arthritis, particularly that of bacterial origin.