Joint Aspirates Flashcards
Describe the colour and clarity of normal fluid?
- Colourless
- Translucent
Describe the colour and clarity of non-inflammatory fluid?
- Straw-like / yellow
- Translucent
Describe the colour and clarity of inflammatory joint fluid?
- Yellow
- Cloudy
Describe the colour and clarity of septic joint fluid?
- Yellow/green
- Cloudy
Describe the colour and clarity of haemarthrosis joint fluid?
- Red
- Bloody
Viscosity of normal fluid?
Highly viscous
Viscosity of non-inflammatory fluid?
Highly viscous
Viscosity of inflammatory fluid?
Low viscosity
Viscosity of septic fluid?
Low viscosity
Which type of joint fluid with be gram stain positive?
Septic
Which type of joint fluid with be crystal positive?
Inflammatory
Describe the neutrophil count of the different joint fluids?
Normal, non-inflammatory, inflammatory, septic and haemarthrosis
- Normal
- <25%
- Non-inflammatory
- <25%
- Inflammatory
- >50%
- Septic
- >75%
- Haemarthrosis
- 50-75%
Describe the WBC count of the different joint fluids?
Normal, non-inflammatory, inflammatory, septic, haemarthrosis
- Normal
- <200 cells/mm3
- Non-inflammatory
- 200-2000 cells/mm3
- Inflammatory
- 2000-50,000 cells/mm3
- Septic
- >50,000 cells/mm3
- Haemarthrosis
- 200-2000 mm3
Name some causes of non-inflammatory joint effusion?
- OA
- Trauma
Name some causes of inflammatory joint effusions?
- RA
- Reactive arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Gout or pseudogout