Does concomitant gout in septic arthritis affect surgical outcomes?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rheumatology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Septic arthritis is a serious joint infection.
• Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis.
• The interplay between gout and septic arthritis requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of gout in surgically treated septic arthritis patients.
• To compare clinical presentations, outcomes, and complications of septic arthritis with and without co-existing gout.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 61 surgically treated septic arthritis patients (Jan 2011-Dec 2016).
• Identified 13 patients (21.3%) with co-existing septic arthritis and gout.
• Analyzed demographics, comorbidities, clinical features, infection markers, length of stay, amputations, readmissions, and mortality using regression models.

Main Results:

• Patients with gout and septic arthritis were older and had more comorbidities (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, renal impairment).
• Gout patients showed a predilection for ankle involvement (46.2%) vs. knee in non-gout patients (75%).
• Gout was associated with increased need for intensive care (61.5%), prolonged length of stay (12.6 days), and higher limb amputation rates (23.1%).

Conclusions:

• Co-existing gout in septic arthritis is linked to significant systemic and joint complications.
• These include prolonged hospitalization, intensive care needs, and increased risk of limb amputation.
• Further prospective studies are recommended to elucidate the gout-septic arthritis relationship.