The Challenge of Identifying a Septic Joint

Authors: Raymond Beyda, MD; Lee Grodin, MD; Jackie Shibata, MD; Ted Segarra MD
Editors: Kelly Maurelus, MD FAAEM and Michael Bond, MD FAAEM 
Originally Published: Common Sense May/June 2017

The ED evaluation of patients with acute monoarthritis is often challenging given the broad differential diagnosis and significant morbidity which can result from missed septic arthritis (SA). The following articles aim to simplify the work-up of the undifferentiated hot and swollen joint.