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Musculoskeletal Infections in the Emergency Department

Daniel C Kolinsky1, Stephen Y Liang2

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, 2400 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, USA.

Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America
|October 10, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Bone and joint infections require prompt medical attention. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, including tissue sampling for Staphylococcus aureus, are crucial for effective management and preventing severe outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Bone and joint infections are serious conditions that can lead to limb loss or be life-threatening.
  • Nonspecific signs and symptoms can make diagnosis challenging for emergency physicians.
  • Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequent bacterial cause of these infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the importance of considering bone and joint infections in patients with musculoskeletal complaints.
  • To emphasize the diagnostic process and optimal management strategies for these infections.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical presentations, diagnostic approaches, and treatment modalities for bone and joint infections.
  • Highlighting the role of physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging.
  • Stressing the importance of tissue sampling for Gram stain and microbiologic culture.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen identified.
  • Pathogen identification and susceptibility testing are key for guiding antibiotic therapy.
  • Effective management often requires a multimodal approach involving both medical and surgical interventions.

Conclusions:

  • Prompt recognition and diagnosis of bone and joint infections are critical to avoid severe consequences.
  • Microbiologic culture and susceptibility testing are essential for targeted antibiotic therapy.
  • A combined medical and surgical strategy is frequently necessary for successful treatment.
Keywords:
Emergency departmentOsteomyelitisPeriprosthetic joint infectionPosttraumatic osteomyelitisSeptic arthritisSpinal epidural abscessSpondylodiscitis

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