Septic Arthritis is invasion of joint by micro-organisms causing inflamation, it is also called infection of joint or Arthritis due to infection or infective arthritis.
CAUSES
VECTORS
Septic Arthritis can be caused due to infection of any of the following vectors
- Bacteria
- Virus
- Fungus
- Parasite
Most Common Organisms Known to Cause Septic Arthritis.
- Staphylococci – Methycillin Resistant Staphylococcus Auris(MRSA)
- Streptococci
- Escherichia Coli
- Pseudomona Aeruginosa
- Neisseria Gonorrhoeae
- Neisseria Meningitidis
- Myocbacterium Tuberculosis
- Salmonella spp.
- Brucella spp.
- Eikenella Corodens
- Pasteurella Multocida
- Borrelia Burgdorferi
- Rubella virus
- Parvovirus B19
- Chickungunya virus
RISK FACTORS
Usually its not common to get joint infection unless the immunity of a person is weak or there is history of surgery, prosthesis, deep tissue infections etc.
- Joint Surgery
- Prosthetic implants
- HIV
- Immuno-suppressive Medication
- Intravenous drug users
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Arthritis due to Gout
- Gonorrhoea
- Infective Endocarditis
- Deep and /or nonhealing wounds
- Other deep tissue infections
- Other causes of septicemia
- Old age
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SEPTIC ARTHRITIS
- Usually single joint is infected, less frequently more than one joints are involved.
- Most commonly involved joint is knee joint and other freqently involved joints are hip, spine, shoulder, wrist, elbow, sacroilliac and sternoclavicular joints.
- Sudden onset of symptoms, fast progression of disease.
- Swelling, redness with increased local Heat and pain around joint. Swelling and redness is comparatively much more than other types of arthritis.
- Fever with or without chills and headache.
- Cant move joint due to severe pain.
- Pain aggravated in slightest motion or jarring, pain is ususally aching type with stitching, stinging and pulsating.
DIAGNOSIS OF SEPTIC ARTHRITIS
- Athrocentesis – microorganisms usually found on culture, WBC count above 50,000-1,00,000/cubic mm, neutrophils more than 90%, lactate count more than 10mmol/l.
- CBC – increased wbc
- Blood culture positive for micro-organism
- ESR – elevated
- CRP – elevated
- Procalcitonin – elevated
- NAAT – to rule out gonorehoea
- Ultrasound – joint effusion
- CT scan – Region involved type and extent of damage
- MRI – Region involved type and extent of damage
HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES FOR SEPTIC ARTHRITIS
Septic Arthritis is a medical emergeny case and requires immediate medical intervention, any delay in treatment can cause damage and complete destruction of joint with in hours to days.
Acute fast acting Homeopathic Medicines are selected with special affinity to joints and pathogenesis that of sudden, severe, acute inflamation with much swelling redness. Below is the list of indicated homeopathic medicines that I prefer in case of infective arthritis.
- APIS MELIFICA
- BELLADONA
- LEDUM PALUSTURE
- RHUS TOXICODENDRON
- BRYONIA ALBA
- PYROGENUM
- ACONITUM NEPELLUS
- MEDHORRINUM
- TUBERCULINUM
- SYPHILLINUM
Sir,
I have been suffering from severe pain in right shoulder and upper arm that radiates upto fingersfor last three months. Now , through arthroscopic biopsy it has been diagnosed as septic arthritis due to pseudomonas aeruginosa. I’ve been started with a treatment of ceftazidime iv injections and levofloxaxin alongwith other oral supplements for 15 days. 10 days course is already complete, but almost no relief in pain is there with restricted shoulder movement. Which of the above mentioned medicines can I take alongwith this medication to help reduce pain and allow shoulder movement.
Kindly guide
Regards
Suspected cause of infection : A caterpillar fell on my right shoulder and I had very itchy rashes a week before the onset of pain. Earlier it was considered a case of frozen shoulder. A month later in MRI infective arthritis was reported and very high esr and crp values were found in blood test.
Can gonococcal arthritis be treated with Medorrhinum? If yes, what should be dose, frequency and duration of treatment for complete cure. Assume that diagnosis is correct.
Thanks and regards,
Kindly reply to my email.
Amal
You need a proper consultation of a homeopathic physician. There are no specific medicines in homeopathy and medicines differ from case to case. Gonococcal arthritis is a condition which needs to be evaluated carefully along with the patient’s general constitution before starting any medicine or treatment.
I do not have septic arthritis but I do have a prosthetic hip infection. The bacteria is staphylococcus epidermidis. Antibiotic treatment has not been effective. I live in Orlando Florida, USA. Is there anyone in the USA who might be able to treat this condition?
KANTA KHANNA WENT THROUGH KNEE SURGERY AND REPLACEMENT. RIGHT KNEE IS FINE, BUT IN LEFT KNEE SOME DROPS OF BLOOD AND PUS APPEAR FLOWING .FIRST THREE YEARS OF SURGERY, EVERYTHING WAS FINE.NOW IT FOUR YEARS SINCE THE PROBLEM AROSE. WHAT COULD BE THE BEST HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE FOR THIS.
Please forward all your reports on whatsapp and call us for advise