ArticleMediterranean journal of rheumatology2020
The Epidemiology and Outcomes of Septic Arthritis in the Maltese Islands: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.
Article in Mediterranean journal of rheumatology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Bone and Joint Infections in Tropical Settings: High Prevalence of Gram-Negative Bacilli and Implications for Empirical Therapy.Open forum infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Regulated Cell Death Pathways in Chondrocytes During Septic Arthritis: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives.Journal of inflammation research · 2026Review
- Rapid access microscopy and real-time case discussion via a secure messaging app improves diagnostic accuracy and management of acute hot swollen joints.BMJ open quality · 2025Article
- Outcomes and Complications of Arthroscopic Treatment for Septic Arthritis of the Hip: A Systematic Review.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2025Review
- Pathophysiology and Evolving Treatment Options of Septic Arthritis: A Narrative Review.Cureus · 2024Review
- Diagnostic considerations in the clinical management of sudden swelling of the knee: a case report and review of the literature.Journal of medical case reports · 2024Review
- How reliable are the synovial cell count and blood parameters in the diagnosis of septic arthritis?Joint diseases and related surgery · 2023Article
- Antimicrobial Stewardship for Outpatients with Chronic Bone and Joint Infections in the Orthopaedic Clinic of an Academic Tertiary Hospital, South Africa.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Substrate-derived Sortase A inhibitors: targeting an essential virulence factor of Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria.Chemical science · 2023Article
- Bacterial pathogens and in-hospital mortality in revision surgery for periprosthetic joint infection of the hip and knee: analysis of 346 patients.European journal of medical research · 2023Observational
- Treatment of coronavirus disease 2019-associated mucositis in adolescents: A case report and brief literature review.SAGE open medical case reports · 2023Article
- Should treatment decisions in septic arthritis of the native hip joint be based on the route of infection?Journal of bone and joint infection · 2023Article
- Incidence and Prevalence of Septic Arthritis in Thailand: A Database from the Ministry of Public Health.Open access rheumatology : research and reviews · 2023Article
- Native joint infections in Iceland 2003-2017: an increase in postarthroscopic infections.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE/
aimSeptic arthritis is an uncommon but important disease with significant morbidity and mortality, especially if inadequately managed. The aim of this epidemiological study was to identify the characteristics and outcomes of patients treated for septic arthritis at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, over a 10-year period.
methodsThis was a retrospective observational study. Patients diagnosed with septic arthritis between 2008 and 2018 were recruited. Cases were identified by reviewing all inhospital episodes of patients diagnosed with septic arthritis according to Newman criteria.
resultsThere were 124 cases of native joint septic arthritis and 138 of prosthetic joint infection. Cases were present amongst all age groups, with the highest incidence amongst those aged 61-70 years for both native and prosthetic infections. Fever was present in around 40% of cases. Raised white cell count was prevalent in 66.9% of native joint infections and 52.9% of prosthetic joints. Elevated C-reactive protein was overwhelmingly seen in most cases, present in 93.5% (median=159.5 mg/L; IQR=85.8-291) of native joints and 92.0% of prosthetic joint infections (median=68.7 mg/L; IQR=20.5-186). Over 55% of patients had one or more risk factors for joint sepsis, diabetes mellitus being the most prevalent clinical comorbidity (22.6% and 24.6% for native and prosthetic joint infections respectively). Synovial cultures were positive in 66% and 82% of native and prosthetic joint aspirates respectively.
conclusionAbsence of fever and elevated white cell count does not exclude the diagnosis. The mortality rate due to septic arthritis in this cohort of patients was found to be 5.7%. All deaths occurred in elderly patients with clinical comorbidities suggesting that this group is at highest risk.
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