Bacterial Arthritis in a Swedish Health District

The aim of this retrospective investigation was to study the occurrence, characteristics and outcome of culture-positive bacterial arthritis in a Swedish county hospital for the period 1994-97. Using registers of diagnosis, 15 adult patients with infectious arthritis in native joints were identified. Staphylococcus aureus was, as expected, the most common microbial agent. Six cases were caused by direct inoculation. The risk for bacterial arthritis caused by intra-articular steroid injection was estimated at 1/12,000. Joint damage was seen in 6 cases. Two patients died during the infection. White blood cell count in synovial fluid was performed in 5 cases, with median value 1.9 x 10(9)/l and, since it was not a good predictor of infection in this study, the value of this method for this indication is questioned.