Condition Lookup
Category:
Bone and Joint Infections
Number of Conditions: 9
Septic Arthritis
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
sudden onset of joint pain; swelling; redness and warmth over the joint; fever; reduced range of motion
Root Cause:
Infection in the synovial fluid and joint tissue, commonly caused by bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus species) or, less frequently, fungi or viruses.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Synovial fluid aspiration and analysis, blood tests (elevated WBC, ESR, CRP), blood cultures, and imaging (ultrasound or MRI).
Treatment:
Immediate antibiotic therapy and joint drainage via needle aspiration, arthroscopy, or open surgery.
Medications:
Intravenous antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or vancomycin , adjusted based on culture sensitivity results. These antibiotics are bactericidal.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Incidence of 2-10 cases per 100,000 people annually, higher in populations with joint replacements or comorbidities.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Age extremes, pre-existing joint disease, recent joint surgery or trauma, immunosuppression, and intravenous drug use.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Favorable with prompt intervention; delayed treatment may result in permanent joint damage.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Joint destruction, osteomyelitis, sepsis, and chronic arthritis.
Arthritis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
joint pain and swelling; stiffness; fever; fatigue; skin rashes (depending on systemic disease); organ-specific symptoms like dry eyes in sjögren’s syndrome or chest pain in lupus
Root Cause:
Arthritis caused by systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, or sarcoidosis, leading to immune-mediated inflammation in joints.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, blood tests (e.g., ESR, CRP, rheumatoid factor, ANA), imaging (X-rays, MRI, or ultrasound of affected joints), and joint fluid analysis.
Treatment:
Treating the underlying systemic condition with disease-specific therapies and symptomatic management of arthritis.
Medications:
Medications may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone ), disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs, e.g., methotrexate , hydroxychloroquine ), and biologics (e.g., TNF inhibitors like adalimumab or etanercept ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Varies by systemic condition; for example, rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1% of the population.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Autoimmune disorders, genetic predisposition, infections, and environmental factors such as smoking.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Prognosis depends on the underlying condition but may include periods of remission and flares; early treatment improves outcomes.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic pain, joint deformities, disability, systemic organ damage, and increased risk of infections due to immunosuppressive therapy.
Nongonococcal Infectious Arthritis
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
acute joint pain and swelling; fever; restricted joint movement; warmth and redness over the affected joint
Root Cause:
Bacterial infection (commonly Staphylococcus aureus) within a joint, leading to rapid destruction of cartilage and surrounding tissues.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Joint aspiration and fluid analysis (Gram stain and culture), blood tests (elevated WBC, ESR, CRP), and imaging (X-rays, ultrasound, or MRI).
Treatment:
Prompt antibiotic therapy and drainage of the infected joint via needle aspiration or surgery.
Medications:
Antibiotics such as vancomycin (for MRSA) or ceftriaxone (for Gram-negative bacteria). Antibiotics are classified as bactericidal and targeted to the suspected organism.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Incidence ranges from 2-10 per 100,000 people annually, more common in patients with joint replacements or compromised immunity.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Joint replacement surgery, immunosuppression, diabetes, intravenous drug use, and pre-existing joint disease.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Favorable with early intervention; delayed treatment can lead to joint destruction and systemic sepsis.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Joint damage, osteomyelitis, septicemia, and chronic pain or disability.
Pott Disease (Tuberculous [TB] Spondylitis)
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
chronic back pain; fever; weight loss; night sweats; progressive spinal deformity (kyphosis); neurological deficits in severe cases
Root Cause:
Tuberculosis infection of the spine caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, leading to destruction of vertebrae and potential spinal instability.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging (X-rays, MRI, or CT scan), biopsy of spinal tissue, and microbiological testing (acid-fast bacilli staining and culture).
Treatment:
Combination anti-tuberculosis therapy (ATT) for 6-12 months and surgical intervention in cases of neurological compromise or spinal instability.
Medications:
First-line anti-TB drugs including isoniazid , rifampin , pyrazinamide , and ethambutol . These are classified as antimycobacterial agents.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Endemic in regions with high TB prevalence; incidence varies but accounts for about 1-2% of TB cases worldwide.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Immunosuppression (e.g., HIV), malnutrition, crowded living conditions, and poor healthcare access.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with timely treatment; late diagnosis can lead to irreversible spinal deformities and neurological damage.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Spinal cord compression, paraplegia, kyphosis, chronic pain, and systemic TB spread.
Septic Arthritis of Native Joints Empiric Therapy
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
joint pain and swelling; fever; limited range of motion; warmth over the joint; chills
Root Cause:
Acute infection of a native joint caused by bacterial pathogens, often leading to inflammation and joint destruction if untreated.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Joint aspiration (synovial fluid analysis for culture, Gram stain, and cell count), blood cultures, imaging (X-ray, MRI, or ultrasound).
Treatment:
Initial empiric therapy with broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics followed by targeted therapy based on culture results, joint drainage via aspiration or surgery, and supportive care.
Medications:
Empiric antibiotic therapy includes intravenous vancomycin (a glycopeptide antibiotic for Gram-positive coverage) and ceftriaxone (a third-generation cephalosporin for Gram-negative coverage).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare but more common in individuals with risk factors such as immunosuppression, intravenous drug use, or joint disease.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Rheumatoid arthritis, joint trauma, recent joint surgery, diabetes, prosthetic joint presence, intravenous drug use, immunosuppression.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early diagnosis and treatment; delayed treatment may lead to joint damage or sepsis.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic joint damage, osteomyelitis, sepsis, and systemic spread of infection.
Septic Arthritis of Native Joints Organism-Specific Therapy
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
joint pain and swelling; fever; warmth and redness over the joint; reduced joint mobility
Root Cause:
Bacterial infection of a joint with known pathogen identification requiring specific antimicrobial treatment.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Synovial fluid analysis and culture for organism identification, blood cultures, imaging studies to assess joint involvement.
Treatment:
Pathogen-specific antibiotic therapy tailored to culture and sensitivity results, combined with joint drainage and supportive care.
Medications:
Antibiotic regimens vary depending on pathogen > Staphylococcus aureus - Nafcillin (beta-lactam antibiotic) or vancomycin for MRSA. Streptococcus species - Penicillin G or ceftriaxone . Gram-negative bacilli - Ceftriaxone or piperacillin-tazobactam (extended-spectrum beta-lactam).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare but can occur in patients with predisposing factors like underlying arthritis or joint surgery.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Immunocompromised states, joint trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, prosthetic joints, intravenous drug use.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Favorable with appropriate organism-targeted therapy; joint preservation is possible if treated early.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic arthritis, joint instability, systemic infection, or abscess formation.
Septic Arthritis of Prosthetic Joints Empiric Therapy
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
persistent joint pain; swelling; erythema around the prosthetic joint; fever; drainage from the surgical site
Root Cause:
Bacterial infection involving a prosthetic joint, leading to inflammation and potential prosthesis failure.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Synovial fluid aspiration with analysis, blood cultures, imaging (X-rays, MRI, or CT), and intraoperative cultures if revision surgery is performed.
Treatment:
Empiric antibiotic therapy covering likely pathogens, surgical debridement, prosthesis removal or replacement, and long-term targeted antibiotic therapy.
Medications:
Initial broad-spectrum antibiotics such as vancomycin (glycopeptide for MRSA) combined with ceftriaxone (third-generation cephalosporin for Gram-negative coverage).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Increasing with the rise in joint replacement surgeries; occurs in about 1-2% of primary joint arthroplasties.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Prior joint replacement surgery, infection at other sites, poor surgical technique, immunosuppression.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Improved with early intervention; prosthesis salvage is possible in some cases.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Prosthetic failure, chronic infection, systemic sepsis, or need for prosthesis revision.
Septic Arthritis of Prosthetic Joints Organism-Specific Therapy
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
localized joint pain; erythema; swelling; chronic drainage; fever or chills
Root Cause:
Prosthetic joint infection with identified causative organism requiring tailored antimicrobial therapy.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Culture and sensitivity testing of synovial fluid, blood cultures, imaging studies, and histopathological analysis during surgery.
Treatment:
Organism-specific antibiotics, prosthesis revision or resection, and long-term suppression with oral antibiotics in select cases.
Medications:
Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus - Nafcillin or cefazolin . Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - Vancomycin or daptomycin (lipopeptide antibiotic). Pseudomonas aeruginosa - Ceftazidime or cefepime (extended-spectrum beta-lactams).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in about 2-3% of prosthetic joint replacements.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Immunosuppression, prior infection, prolonged surgical procedures, comorbidities like diabetes.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with appropriate therapy but often requires complex surgical intervention.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Prosthesis failure, osteomyelitis, systemic spread of infection, and prolonged disability.
Viral Arthritis
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Bone and Joint Infections
Symptoms:
joint pain and stiffness; swelling; rash (in some cases); fever; fatigue
Root Cause:
Joint inflammation caused by viral infections (e.g., Parvovirus B19, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chikungunya virus).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical history, serologic testing for viral antibodies, PCR for viral DNA/RNA, exclusion of bacterial causes.
Treatment:
Supportive care, addressing the underlying viral infection, and symptomatic management with NSAIDs.
Medications:
Antiviral therapy for specific viral infections (e.g., lamivudine for hepatitis B). Symptomatic relief with NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen .
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Variable depending on the viral etiology and geographic distribution.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Exposure to viruses, immunosuppression, poor hygiene, endemic regions.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Self-limiting in most cases, with resolution as the viral infection subsides.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic arthritis, post-viral fatigue, or in rare cases, systemic involvement of the virus.