Septic arthritis in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.
BACKGROUND
Septic arthritis is a disabling disease that requires early diagnosis and prompt management for optimal outcome. Late presentations with deformities were noticed in our clinic. The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of septic arthritis in our environment.


METHODS
This was an 18-month prospective study in a Nigerian teaching hospital. Thirty-nine consecutive patients with 45 incidences of septic arthritis were studied. Joint aspirates were taken for microbiologic investigation.


RESULTS
Patient ages ranged between 0.5-60 years and the mean age was 7.4 years. The male to female ratio was 2.9:1, and the knee was the most commonly affected joint. The duration of symptoms before presentation ranged between 4-17 days with a mean of 11.1 +/- 3.6 days. Twenty-five (64.1%) of the patients were on inadequate antibiotics before presentation. Seventy-three percent of septic arthritis involving the upper limb joints occurred below the age of one year and 92.3% of the involved lower limb joints occurred after one year of age.


CONCLUSIONS
The upper limb joints were significantly affected below one year of age and the joints of the lower limb were more involved after one year of age (p = 0.001). Improper prescription of antibiotics before presentation to the hospital was noticed in 64.1% and should be discouraged.
Ogunlusi
Johnson D
JD
State Specialist Hospital Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State Nigeria. gbemidare@yahoo.com
Ogunlusi
Olugbemisola O
OO
Oginni
Lawrence M
LM
Olowookere
Julius A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011446:Prospective Studies