Treatment of septic arthritis

Abstract

Surgery and needle aspiration have been evaluated as initial modes of drainage in 59 patients with acute septic arthritis. Full recovery was noted in 42% treated surgically at the outset. On the other hand, 67% of those treated by needle aspiration recovered without sequelae, despite the greater prevalence in this group of adverse host factors‐eg, serious underlying illness, concommitant extraarticular infection, prior arthritis in the infected joint, and recent antibiotic or immunosuppressive therapy.