Infectious arthritis
Infectious arthritis is a serious joint disease caused by an infectious lesion of cartilage and bone tissue. It is characterized by severe joint pain, swelling and discomfort when walking. Inflammation can spread only to one or several joints at once (multiarthritis). Infectious arthritis affects all age groups of people from newborn children to the elderly. It is terrible with the development of absolute immobility of the joints and the loss of the ability to walk.
In this condition, the patient requires emergency medical care. In adults, this disease mainly affects the hands or knee joints, which bear the main load when walking. In children, as a rule, the shoulder and hip joints are affected.
CAUSES OF INFECTIOUS ARTHRITIS
Infectious arthritis is usually caused by a bacterium or virus that enters the human body. Pathogens can get into the joint both through the bloodstream and bypassing it when there is a focus of infection in the body of the patient himself or with the intervention of a foreign body. Pathogenic factors vary depending on the age group of the patient. Newborn babies can get an infection from a mother who suffers from a viral disease. Also, children can become infected during hospital manipulations, catheter installations and other life-supporting systems. Adolescents and adults who lead an active sexual life can get infected with infectious arthritis.
SYMPTOMS OF INFECTIOUS ARTHRITIS
Usually they appear suddenly, but sometimes they increase within a few days. The affected joint swells, becomes red and warm to the touch, pains arise and increase with movement. If infectious arthritis has developed in the hip joint, pain may occur in the groin area. The diseased joint reacts to touch with the development of sharp pain, it can be more or less hot, depending on how deep in the tissues there is a focus of infection. Children and adolescents may experience vomiting and nausea. There are joint pains, sharp pains during movement, swelling, local redness and local skin temperature increases, impaired limb functions.
DIAGNOSIS OF INFECTIOUS ARTHRITIS
The diagnosis is made only after a thorough medical examination of the damaged joint, taking all the necessary tests and studying past illnesses suffered by the patient. Patients with suspected infectious arthritis should not engage in self-diagnosis and immediately make such a diagnosis. Joint pain and swelling can be caused by other types of arthritis, gout or rheumatism.
TREATMENT OF INFECTIOUS ARTHRITIS
As a rule, a complete cure of acute infectious arthritis requires several days of inpatient treatment and subsequent medication, massage and physiotherapy. If there is a danger of severe damage or even destruction of the joint tissues, it is necessary to immediately begin intravenous administration of antibiotics, even if the causative agent of the disease is completely unknown. After a specific pathogen is identified, the doctor may prescribe a drug that affects it. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Surgical intervention is performed only if urgent drainage of the damaged joint is necessary. If the joint has begun to collapse, then reconstructive surgery is used, but such an operation is possible only after the complete disappearance of infectious inflammation. painkillers and cold or warm compresses are prescribed to relieve pain. In some cases, an immobilization splint is shown on the injured limb.
