[Acute diagnostics-focus on septic arthritis]

Septic arthritis represents a medical emergency in daily clinical practice due to its high mortality. It requires time-critical diagnostic evaluation and treatment. Patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) are at particularly high risk. The current article is based on a literature search on septic arthritis, with a focus on the diagnostic value of systemic and synovial laboratory parameters in patients with IA. The results show that in patients with IA, any isolated arthritis should initially be considered septic until proven otherwise. Simple laboratory cut-off values are insufficient for reliable diagnosis. Early joint aspiration with microbiological diagnostics and prompt escalation of therapy in cases of suspected septic arthritis are critical determinants of treatment success.