Septic arthritis medical therapy


 * Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Jumana Nagarwala, M.D., Senior Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital;

Overview
Therapy is usually with intravenous antibiotics, analgesia and washout/aspiration of the joint to dryness.

Medical Therapy
Antibiotics are used to treat the infection. Resting, keeping the joint still, raising the joint, and using cool compresses may help relieve pain. Exercising the affected joint helps the recovery process. If joint (synovial) fluid builds up quickly due to the infection, a needle may be inserted into the joint often to aspirate the fluid. Severe cases may need surgery to drain the infected joint fluid.