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Updated: Aug 26, 2026

Knee Arthrocentesis in Adults
Published on: February 25, 2022
[Kingella kingae and osteoarticular infections in children]
Ellen Nordal1, Sofia Olausson, Dag Hvidsten
1Barneavdelingen, Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge, 9038 Tromsø. ellen.nordal@unn.no
Insights
Kingella kingae is an increasingly recognized cause of pediatric osteoarticular infections. Direct inoculation of specimens into blood culture bottles improves detection of this pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Clinical Orthopedics
Background:
- Septic arthritis and osteomyelitis in children often lack identified causative agents due to challenges in bacterial culture.
- Accurate pathogen identification is crucial for effective treatment of pediatric bone and joint infections.
Observation:
- A case of septic arthritis caused by Kingella kingae in a two-year-old boy is presented.
- A literature review reveals a rising incidence of pediatric osteoarticular infections attributed to Kingella kingae.
Findings:
- Kingella kingae is an emerging pathogen in pediatric osteoarticular infections, with a typically benign clinical course.
- Standard plating methods often fail to detect Kingella kingae, leading to underdiagnosis.
- Directly inoculating osteoarticular specimens into blood culture bottles significantly enhances the isolation rate of Kingella kingae.
Implications:
- Improved diagnostic methods, including enhanced culture techniques, are vital for identifying Kingella kingae.
- Increased clinician awareness of Kingella kingae is necessary for timely diagnosis and targeted antibiotic therapy.
- Early and accurate diagnosis of Kingella kingae infections can lead to better patient outcomes and prevent complications.
Background:
In septic arthritis and osteomyelitis in children, the infectious agent is frequently not identified because of failure in obtaining bacterial growth from blood culture or osteoarticular aspirations.
Material And Methods:
We report a case of septic arthritis caused by Kingella kingae in a two-year-old boy. On the basis of a PubMed literature search, we present an overview of osteoarticular infections with K kingae in childhood.
Results And Interpretation:
Over the last ten years there has been an increasing number of reports on osteoarticular infection in children caused by K kingae. The clinical course is usually benign. Direct inoculation of osteoarticular specimens into blood culture bottles is important in order to enhance isolation of K kingae, as this organism will often fail to grow when plated directly on solid media. Improved culture methods and increased awareness are important in order to identify the organism and thus enable targeted antibiotic therapy.
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