title: Childhood osteomyelitis and septic arthritis.
abstract: The diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of septic arthritis or osteomyelitis in children has become more streamlined in recent years. C-reactive protein appears to be a better laboratory study than sedimentation rate in the diagnosis of bone or joint infection and in monitoring a patient's clinical response to antibiotics. Oral antibiotics may be rapidly substituted for intravenous antibiotics in patients who have a identifiable sensitive organism, who show rapid clinical improvement, and who show rapid normalization of C-reactive protein. The physician must remain alert for resistant organisms, highly virulent organisms (post-varicella streptococcal infections) and rare organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45241, USA.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wall
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002097:C-Reactive Protein