SM 242a - Bone and Joint Infections Flashcards
Which bones are likely to be infected with osteomyelitis due to hematogenous spread?
Which organism is a likely culprit?
Long bones, vertebrae
S. aureus
How is osteomyelitis treated?
Get diagnostic tests before starting an antibiotic
- You want to choose the right antibiotic
- Less urgent than septic arthritis
- However, if the patient is septic treat empirically immediately
Describe the clinical presentation of a disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI)
- One of two major presentations
- Tenosynovitis, dermatitis, and polyarthralgia
- Purulent monoarticular arthritis
- More common in women than men
Which organisms is the most common cause of osteomyelitis?
Staphylococcus aureus
Describe the clinical manifestation of osteomyelitis
Nonspecific presentation
- Pain around the involved site
- Fever, chills, local swelling, erythema in the proximity of the involved bone is infrequent
- Occasionally can see a draining sinus tract over the involved bone
- This is pathognomonic for osteomyelitis
Which bacteria are likely to cause septic arthritis after a cat or dog bite?
Pasteurella multocida, Capnocytophaga spp.
A 65 year-old male presents with several weeks of progressive back pain and several hours of left lower extremity weakness. MRI shows L4-L5 diskitis, osteomyelitis, and epidural fluid collection with posterior displacement of the spinal cord. Should treatment be delayed until deep tissue specimens can be obtained for culture?
No!
Neurologic signs (left lower extremity weakness) = an emergency. Need to treat immediately to avoid permanent injury and paraplegia
Treat immediately with broad spectrum antibiotic while the patient waits for emergent surgery to decompress the spinal cord (via surgery or percutaneous drainage)
A 25 year-old woman presents with several days of right knee pain, swelling and low grade fever. Arthrocentesis shows 70,000 white blood cells with 95% neutrophils. A gram stain of the joint fluid shows no microorganisms. Blood and synovial fluid cultures are negative.
Is any further evaluation necessary?
Yes!
- >50,000 WBCs and >90% neutrophils indicates a joint infection
- Synovial fluid and blood cultures can be negative, especially since the bacteria may exist in biofilms
- Fever indicates septic arthritis
Most likely culprits are S. aureus and N. gonorrhoeae. Futher testing for N. gonorrhoeae is indicated. Treat empirically with vancomycin for S. aureus and ceftrioxone for N. gonorrhoeae
What are the clinical manifestations of septic arthritis?
- Monoarticular in 80% of cases
- Usually a knee in adults or a hip in children
- Pain and loss of function
- Swelling and redness, increased warmth
- Fever and malaise
- In peripheral joints…
- Focal tenderness, inflammation, effusion
- Limited ROM
- Axial joints
- Focal tenderness
- Distance source of infection in ~50% of patients
In which populations is Pseudomonas aeruginosa a likely culprit for joint infection?
- IV drug users
Note: often involves fibrocartilaginous joints (pubic symphysis, sternoclavicular and SI joints)
When are prosthetic joint infections usually contracted?
During placement of the new joint
Usually due to contamination of the prosthesis by skin microorganisms during surgery
What is the key diagnostic test and result for septic arthritis?
Arthrocentesis with >50,000 WBCs, >90% neutrophils
Culture positive in 80-90% of patients
Eikenella corrodens might cause joint infection after which exposure?
Human bite
What is the most common culprit in septic arthritis?
Staphyloccous aureus
Why is Nesseria gonorrhoeae infection difficult to treat?
Surface glycoproteins on the bacteria undergo phase and antigenic variation; this allows them to evade the immune system
- The longer an infection persists untreated, the greater the opportunity for invasive, serum-resistant strains to emerge
- Infection is often asymptomatic, and therefore persists untreated
- More commonly asymptomatic in women than in men
What factors promote bacterial attachment to synovial joints?
- Bacterial adhesins (**S. aureus)
- Host inflammatory factors
- Extracellular proteins promote bacterial attachment
Which bones are likely to be infected with osteomyelitis due to contiguous spread?
Which organism is a likely culprit?
Foot, sacrum
Polymicrobial
Which organism is likely to cause osteomyelitis in immunocompromised patients?
Aspergilllus
Mycobacterium avium complex
Candida albicans
Describe the clinical presentation of lyme disease
Early infection
- Erythema migrans
- Expanding, annular erythematous skin lesion
- Disseminated infection
- Fever, chills, secondary annular skin lesions
- Meningitis
- Cranial neuritis -> Facial palsy, carditis, migratory arthrits
Late infection
- Arthritis
- Chrnoic encephalopathy
What pathologies could result in an arthrocentesis with >100,000 WBCs?
- Septic arthritis
- RA flare
- Leukemia
- Gout
- Reaction to intraarticular injection
What imaging studies are useful in the evaluation of septic arthritis?
CT and MRI
Both are sensitive for early septic arthritis. Will show fluid as well as surrounding bone involvement