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Review
. 2025 Jun 16;9(3):rkaf058.
doi: 10.1093/rap/rkaf058. eCollection 2025.

Management of septic arthritis in adults with a hot swollen joint: British Society for Rheumatology guideline scope

Nikita Arumalla  1 , Victoria B Allen  2 , Kavina Shah  3 , Mark D Russell  2 , Zoe Syrimi  4 , James B Galloway  5 , Stephanie Butler  6 , Mark Carruthers  7 , Cathy Donaghy  8 , Christopher Ellis  9   10 , Andrew Garforth  11 , Donna Hood  12 , Bilal Jamal  13 , Felicity Mackenzie  14 , Rhidian Morgan-Jones  15   16 , Anurag Negi  17 , Shara Palanivel  18   19 , Simon Ross Deveau  20   21 , Colin Wilkinson  22 , Emma L Williams  23 , Muddassir Muhammad Shaikh  24 ; British Society for Rheumatology Guideline Steering Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Review

Management of septic arthritis in adults with a hot swollen joint: British Society for Rheumatology guideline scope

Nikita Arumalla et al. Rheumatol Adv Pract. .

Abstract

The last British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) guideline on the hot swollen joint (HSJ) was published in 2006. The guideline needs to be updated to provide a summary of the current evidence for investigating and managing a HSJ, with a particular focus on septic arthritis. This guideline is aimed at healthcare professionals in the UK who directly care for people presenting with an HSJ, including front-line clinicians (in general practice and the emergency department), rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, infectious diseases physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, hand therapists, pharmacists, other health professionals and people experiencing an HSJ. It will also be relevant to people with lived experience of the condition as well as organizations that support them in the public and private sectors, including charities and informal patient support groups. This guideline will be developed using the methods and processes outlined in the BSR Guideline Protocol. Here we provide a brief summary of the scope of the guideline update in development.

Keywords: BSR guidelines; acute hot joint; hot swollen joint; septic arthritis.

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References

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