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Gonococcal and Nongonococcal Bacterial Infections

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Infections and the Rheumatic Diseases

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Abstract

Among gonococcal and nongonococcal bacterial infections, septic arthritis continues to be a medical emergency, and diagnosis continues to be challenging. When assessing a patient with clinical features such as acute onset of localized joint pain, tenderness, swelling, and decreased joint motion, it is important to keep in mind infectious arthritis. Infectious arthritis is caused by bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria, and viruses. However, bacterial infectious arthritis is classically divided into gonococcal and nongonococcal arthritis.

Typical risk factors for the development of septic arthritis include previous joint pathology (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis), joint prosthesis, intravenous drug abuse, alcoholism, systemic disorders, skin infections, previous intra-articular injection, or arthroscopy.

Diagnosis is still mainly based on isolating the pathogen; treatment must begin immediately with a broad spectrum antibiotic until a particular pathogen is isolated. Prognosis depends on early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic therapy because delay in diagnosis and treatment can lead to irreversible joint damage and increase complications. Treatment often requires a multidisciplinary approach involving orthopedic surgery, infectious disease evaluation, and physical therapy. Here, we present a brief review of the most common types of bacterial infectious arthritis: gonococcal or nongonococcal.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Hospital General de Occidente and University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Ignacio García-De La Torre

  2. Department of Rheumatology, Centro de Estudios de Investigación Básica y Clínica, S.C. (CEIBAC, SC), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Yelitza Concepción González-Bello

Authors
  1. Ignacio García-De La Torre
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  2. Yelitza Concepción González-Bello
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. LSU Health Sciences at New Orleans, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Luis R. Espinoza

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García-De La Torre, I., González-Bello, Y.C. (2019). Gonococcal and Nongonococcal Bacterial Infections. In: Espinoza, L. (eds) Infections and the Rheumatic Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23311-2_3

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