Distinguishing Contamination from Infection in Suspected Septic Arthritis

Contamination was associated with milder disease, less inflammation, less Staphylococcus aureus, no positive blood cultures, and more often a rheumatologic diagnosis.

For a diagnosis of septic arthritis (SA), isolation of bacteria from synovial fluid (SF) is the gold standard. However, if an SF culture gets contaminated, it may provoke unnecessary surgical interventions and antibiotic treatment. Unfortunately, no firm criteria for differentiating contamination from true SA infection have been identified so far.

To define such parameters, researchers at a single institution retrospectively studied 420 patients treated for suspected SA between 1998 and 2015. According to the judgment of an infectious disease consultant as well as a clinical course incompatible with SA, 22 patients (5.2%) were determined to have contaminated SF.

Patients with SA were younger than those with contaminated SF (60.9 vs. 75.6 year…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Distinguishing Contamination from Infection in Suspected Septic Arthritis

Topics

Reviewing Author