There are many different forms of arthritis that are presently known over, over 100 different types in fact, and one of these types is Septic arthritis. Septic arthritis which is also commonly referred to as infectious arthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused by a bacterial, fungal or viral infection, and which is usually considered as being an acute condition.

It most frequently affects the knees, hips, shoulders, wrists, and finger joints, although any part of the body can be affected. As well, although septic arthritis can develop in anyone, it most often occurs in people who have undergone recent surgery, or who have had traumatic injury to a joint, because these are situations in which infection often takes place.

Signs and Symptoms

In the case of this form of arthritis over any other, it is critical to watch out for the different signs and symptoms, so that you can notice it as soon as possible if you happen to develop it. Most patients with septic arthritis present a single swollen joint with pain on active or passive movement.

However in seeding arthritis, which is basically a more advanced form of this, several joints can be affected simultaneously, and this is actually quite a common occurrence if the infection that caused the arthritis was caused by staphylococcus or gonoccus bacteria.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Your doctor will be the one to make the diagnosis of the septic arthritis condition, which they will do once a routine examination has been performed, and antibiotic treatment is the most typically recommended, and should be started empirically without waiting for the final results of the culture test that was performed during the examination. This is because septic arthritis, if left untreated, can become incredibly dangerous to a patient’s health, so it is vital to begin treatment as soon as it is even suspected.

The duration of antibiotic treatment will depend on the severity of your case as well as on how long you have been suffering from the arthritis from, and you will be able to work together with your doctor in order to determine this. Just make sure that you are aware of what particular antibiotics you are being prescribed before taking them, and especially be sure of the side effects and symptoms that are possible to come from it.

Once you have started on the treatment it is vital that you keep in touch with your doctor and let them know how you are feeling on the day to day, and whether you are improving or not.