title: Acute purulent arthritis in children.
abstract: Acute purulent arthritis (APA) in children is a rare disease. A series comprising 25 children with APA seen in 1960-79 was analysed with regard to clinical problems of diagnosis and treatment. The sex ratio of boys to girls was 2.5:1. The knee joint was most commonly affected (76% of the cases). The other joints affected were the hip (16%), ankle (4%), and elbow (4%), 56% of the patients were 1-2 yr old at the onset of the disease. A bacterial etiology was established in 44% of cases; a positive culture in 36%. Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, streptococci, and pneumococci were isolated. All but 2 patients received antimicrobial therapy; the duration of therapy averaged 35 days. Seven patients were treated operatively. The usual procedure was arthrotomy, and closed irrigation was performed in 2 cases only. The end result was good in all cases. There were no fatalities.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000473:pathology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D013492:Suppuration
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002097:C-Reactive Protein