ARTHRITIS DUE TO INFECTION

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ARTHRITIS DUE TO INFECTION

Arthritis caused by bacteria or other

infectious agents is the only kind of

arthritis that truly may be cured.

Typically, bacteria invade a joint,

resulting in infection and inflammation

that can be definitively treated by

identifying the organism and then

eliminating it with the proper antibiotic.

Time is the pivotal factor; the longer the

infection persists, the greater the degree

of joint damage. If the infection is not

halted promptly, a secondary chronic

arthritis that cannot be cured may result.

In such circumstances, degeneration of the

joint from the secondary condition may

continue even after the infection has been

eliminated.

Bacterial arthritis can be produced by a

variety of bacteria and is usually

associated with infection elsewhere in the

body. For example, Staphylococcus aureus,

or staph, is a common cause of infection,

especially of the skin. People whose

resistance is lowered by other

circumstances — for example, long-term use

of steroid drugs or certain other chronic

diseases, such as diabetes—have an

increased risk of having a localized staph

infection spread to other parts of the

body via the blood, a condition called

bacteremia. There are other possible

sources of joint infection, including

bacterial seeding from the kidneys, lungs,

or gallbladder. When bacteremia occurs,

the joint seems to act as a filter,

trapping the blood- borne bacteria and

resulting in a secondary joint infection.

People whose joints have been damaged by

rheumatoid arthritis also may be

vulnerable to bacterial arthritis. An

infection should be suspected in a

rheumatoid patient when there is a

persistent flare-up in a single joint. In

such circumstances, a sample of joint

fluid should be removed for laboratory

study to see if an infectious agent is

present.

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bones

that is more common in children than

adults. When osteomyelitis occurs, the

neighboring joint should be carefully

studied for possible infection. Similarly,

bones should be examined for possible

infection in cases of infectious

arthritis.

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