Acute nongonococcal infectious arthritis. Evaluation of risk factors, therapy, and outcome.

A retrospective analysis of 71 nongonococcal joint infections in 63 patients is reported. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 59% of the patients. Five patients died as a result of infections. The outcome in Gram-negative joint infections was similar to the overall outcome in the entire series of patients. All 11 joints with infected prostheses ultimately required removal of the prostheses. All patients were treated with appropriate parenteral antibiotics, and surgical intervention was used in 40 joints. Six patients underwent surgical treatment because of inability to sterilize the joint with antibiotics and because of repeated joint aspirations. The outcome with surgical intervention was good only in patients younger than 16 years of ages. Medical therapy (parenteral antibiotics and frequent joint aspirations) led to good results in 74% of the patients. Outcome of joint infection was also influenced by factors which contribute to impaired host resistance.