• P Schlapbach, C Ambord, A M Blöchlinger, and N J Gerber.
• Rheumatologische Universitätsklinik, Inselspital, Bern.
• Swiss Med Wkly. 1989 Apr 29; 119 (17): 521-6.

AbstractBacterial arthritis is an emergency situation in which rapid diagnosis and immediate therapy are the main factors conditioning a satisfactory functional outcome. Not infrequently, bacterial arthritis may involve only mild clinical features, thus leading to a delay in diagnosis. The case histories of 43 patients with bacterial arthritis are reviewed retrospectively. Only 20.9% mentioned a history of rigor and less than half (40.5%) of the patients had a body temperature elevation above 38 degrees C. Other signs of bacterial infection (i.e. leukocytosis, positive blood cultures, synovial fluid pleocytosis) were less frequent than expected. Functional outcome was better for patients with a short latent period between the onset of clinical symptoms and initiation of treatment.

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