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Septic arthritis is an acute, painful infection that can lead to sequelae of the affected joints, and dexamethasone has been associated with good clinical responses in children with this condition. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers in Israel randomized 49 children (age range, 6 months to 18 years) with septic arthritis to receive intravenous (IV) dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg every 6 hours for 4 days) or placebo beginning before or within 2 hours of antibiotic treatment.
Patient characteristics, affected joints, bacterial pathogens, and laboratory parameters were comparable in the two groups. All joints except septic hips were treated medically. Dexamethasone was associated with significantly faster resolution of fever (1.…