Septic arthritis in light of the guidelines of the French Society for Rheumatology

Septic arthritis is an infectious inflammation of the joint, often accompanied by general symptoms. It is a serious, often life-threatening disease that often has significant functional consequences. Pre-existing joint involvement, polymorbidity, and immunosuppressive treatment represent significant risk factors relevant to the rheumatology patient population, for the occurrence, difficulty of diagnosis, and treatment. Despite these facts, there are still no national or international guidelines for the management of septic arthritis in rheumatology. This work presents the new recommendations of the French Society for Rheumatology, which thus provides important guidance in the management of septic arthritis. In three basic principles, they emphasize urgent and focused diagnosis, unambiguous identification of the causative agent, including sensitivity to antimicrobial therapy, and an interdisciplinary approach for maximum patient benefit; the following 16 recommendations are individually devoted to assessment of severity, differential diagnosis, diagnosis, including laboratory, the role of imaging methods, therapy, options for interventional treatment and rehabilitation.