Infectious Arthritis - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
Nongonococcal infectious arthritis is an acute or subacute illness with potentially significant morbidity and mortality. Bacteria, mycobacteria, and fungi can cause the disease. Both healthy individuals and individuals with predisposing conditions can be infected. Nongonococcal infectious arthritis is typically a monoarticular disease, but, in approximately 10% of patients, it affects multiple joints. Without treatment, the condition results in joint destruction.A rare condition where arthritis occurs as a result of joint infection by a bacteria, virus or fungus. Symptoms vary according to the infection type. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Infectious arthritis is available below.
Causes
Infectious arthritis is caused by a germ that travels through the body to a joint. The germ can be a bacterium, virus, or fungus. The germ can enter the body though the skin, nose, throat, ears, or through an open wound. Most often, infectious arthritis develops after an existing infection anywhere in the body travels through the bloodstream to a joint.
Infectious arthritis is a form of joint inflammation caused by a germ. The germ can be a bacterium, a virus or a fungus. Infection of the joints usually occurs after a previous infection elsewhere in the body. There is usually only one joint involved, though sometimes two or three joints can become infected.
Symptoms
The most common joints affected by infectious arthritis are the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and finger. Most infections only affect one joint. The following are the most common symptoms of infectious arthritis. However each individual may experience symptoms differently.
Infants usually have fever and pain and tend to be fussy. Generally, infants do not move the infected joint because moving or touching it is painful. Young children with knee or hip infections may refuse to walk. In older children and adults, symptoms usually begin over hours to a few days. The infected joint usually becomes red and warm, and moving or touching it is very painful.
Treatment
Because of the possibility of serious damage to the joint or other complications if treatment is delayed, the patient will be started on intravenous antibiotics before the specific organism is identified. After the disease organism has been identified, the doctor may give the patient a drug that targets the specific bacterium or virus. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually given for viral infections.
Patients who are diagnosed with infectious arthritis of bacterial origin receive antibiotics – usually intravenously at first, followed by oral medications. Depending on the location of the joint and the severity of the inflammation, treatment might also include draining the joint of pus, particularly in the case of the hip, which is more sensitive to damage from inflammation. Infectious arthritis caused by Lyme disease does not usually require joint drainage, and only oral antibiotics are necessary for treatment.
