Treatments
The goals with treatment are to eliminate the infection, reduce inflammation and associated fluid pressure on the joint, to minimize joint damage, and to maintain and/or recover joint mobility.
The primary treatment is the appropriate antimicrobial therapy. The exact medication prescribed will depend on which drugs the microorganism is susceptible to and how effective the antimicrobials are at getting into the joint space where the infection is. In most cases, this drug will also be effective in treating the source of the infection when it has originated in the blood or another body organ or tissue. With some organisms, such as a mycobacterium, multiple drugs may need to be taken for extended periods of time. Viral infections will usually resolve on their own.
Patients may also be treated for inflammation and pain. Fluid is usually aspirated from the affected joint(s) to relieve pressure and to obtain material to culture the specific microorganism. Aspiration may need to be done several times to relieve pressure. In some cases, surgery may be needed to drain the fluid.
On This Site