• Septic arthritis should be suspected in patients with acute monoarthritis.
• ALWAYS obtain synovial fluid cultures AND blood cultures prior to initiating empiric antimicrobial therapy.
• Strongly consider both Infectious Diseases and Orthopedic Surgery consultations.

(1) Gupta et al. A prospective 2-year study of 75 patients Rheumatology 2001:40(1)

(2) Smith, Piercy. Infectious Arthritis Clinical Infectious Disease 1995:20(2)

(3) Shah et al. Does the presence of crystal arthritis rule out septic arthritis? Journal of Emergency Medicine 2006:32(1)

(4) Margaretten et al. Does this Adult Patient have Septic Arthritis? JAMA 2007:297(13)

(5) Kortekagas et al. Synovial Fluid Leukcytosis in Bacterial Arthritis vs. Reactive Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Adult Knee. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 1992:21(6)