抄録
We presented 5 cases of septic arthritis in children. Average age of the patients was 4-year-old (range 10 months - 11-year-old). The involved joints were 3 hips, 1 knee and 1 ankle joint. Average duration from onset of arthritic symptoms to visiting hospital was 7.2 days (range 1-14 days). Diagnosis was made according to elevated body temperature, laboratory tests including white blood-cell count and CRP level, and findings of joint aspiration. As septic arthritis is an emergency, surgical drainage and antibiotics administration should be done as soon as possible. Average duration of drainage was 7 days (range 4-8 days), and average duration for intravenous injection of antibiotics was 18 days (range 10-36 days). Causative organisms were detected in 3 cases. Clinical symptoms in all cases improved, as did laboratory findings of CRP level and white blood cell count. Two cases had residual abnormal findings on plain X-ray photographs. Recently, it is recommended that cefotaxime, ceftriaxone or carbapenems should be used as the first choice of antibiotics against septic arthritis, if the causative organism has not been identified.
