What is infectious arthritis?
Arthritis is inflammation in a joint. There are many types of arthritis. Infectious arthritis is arthritis caused by a bacterial infection in a joint.
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Your joint can get infected if another infection in your body spreads to the joint, or if your joint gets infected during surgery or from an injury
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Usually only one large joint, such as your knee or shoulder, is affected
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Your joint will be swollen, red, and sore, and you may have a fever
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If left untreated, infectious arthritis can damage your joint
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Doctors treat the infection with antibiotics and sometimes surgery to drain pus out of your joint
What causes infectious arthritis?
A joint can get infected from:
You're more likely to get infectious arthritis if you:
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Use needles to inject street drugs
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Have alcoholism
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Have rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Arthritis is a group of diseases that makes your joints hurt, swell up, and turn red. There are many different types of arthritis. RA is a type of arthritis in which your body's immune system... read more
, osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) Arthritis is a group of diseases that makes your joints hurt, swell up, and turn red. There are many different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. In osteoarthritis... read more 
, or other joint problems
What are the symptoms of infectious arthritis?
How can doctors tell if I have infectious arthritis?
Doctors will:
To tell what caused your joint infection, doctors may do:
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Blood tests
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Spinal fluid and urine tests
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X-rays Plain X-Rays A plain x-ray is an imaging test that takes a picture of the inside of your body. It uses a low dose of x-ray radiation. X-rays show body parts according to how dense (solid) they are. Doctors... read more
, MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) MRI is a test that uses a machine with a powerful magnet to make pictures of the inside of your body. A computer records changes in the magnetic field around your body. The computer then uses... read more 
, or ultrasound Ultrasonography Ultrasonography is a safe imaging test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the insides of your body. Ultrasonography doesn't use radiation (x-rays). Ultrasonography is also called... read more 
of the joint
How do doctors treat infectious arthritis?
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
| Generic Name | Select Brand Names |
|---|---|
ibuprofen |
ADVIL, MOTRIN IB |
aspirin |
No US brand name |
