Septic arthritis
Diagnosing septic arthritis
If your symptoms suggest septic arthritis, your GP will refer you to your nearest A&E department immediately for an assessment.
You may have a Blood tests and a sample of fluid may be removed from your affected joint with a needle. This isto look for signs of inflammation and infection, and to identify any bacteria.
If you have septic arthritis, there may be high numbers of white blood cellsin your blood and joint fluid, which is a sign of infection.
However, these tests come back normalin many cases of septic arthritis, so they can't be relied on entirely to rule out infection.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about septic arthritis, which is inflammation of a joint caused by a bacterial infection. It's also known as infectious or bacterial arthritis.
Symptoms of septic arthritis
Septic arthritis typically causes severe pain, swelling, redness and heat in affected joints. These symptoms tend to develop quickly over a few hours or days. You may also have difficulty moving the
Diagnosing septic arthritis
If your symptoms suggest septic arthritis, your GP will refer you to your nearest A&E department immediately for an assessment. You may have a Blood tests and a sample of fluid may be removed fr
Treatingseptic arthritis
Septic arthritis is treated with antibiotics . You'll normally need to stay in hospital for at least two weeks to have antibiotics given to you directly into a vein (intravenously). You may need to r
Causes of septic arthritis
The condition is most commonly caused by either: staphylococcal bacteria streptococcal bacteria These bacteria may enter a wound and travel through your bloodstream to the affected joint, or m
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