Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of 128 patients with septic arthritis. Data are n (%) unless otherwise specified.
| Characteristics | 2000–2004, n = 40 | 2005–2015, n = 88 |
|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs, median (IQR) | 56 (47–66) | 56 (47–65) |
| Male | 31 (77.5) | 65 (73.9) |
| Intravenous drug use | 7 (18.4) | 21 (23.9) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 13 (33.3) | 27 (30.7) |
| Immunosuppressive agent* | 4 (10.3) | 7 (8.0) |
| Malignancy | 3 (7.7) | 9 (10.2) |
| HIV | 2 (5.1) | 5 (5.7) |
| AIDS | 1 (2.6) | 2 (2.3) |
| Hepatitis C | 13 (33.3) | 33 (37.5) |
| Cirrhosis | 2 (5.1) | 5 (5.7) |
| Endstage renal disease | 9 (23.1) | 7 (8.0) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 0 (0) | 1 (1.1) |
| Presence of skin infection | 6 (15.8) | 26 (29.6) |
| Prosthetic infection | 8 (20.0) | 28 (31.8) |
| WBC, thousands, median (IQR) | 12.2 (8.9–16.2) | 10.3 (7.2–15.6) |
| ESR, median (IQR) | 81 (62–101) | 73 (45–99) |
| Synovial fluid cell count, thousands, median (IQR) | 64.5 (29.2–112.0) | 73.4 (33.4–120.0) |
| Poly, % (IQR) | 93 (89–95) | 93 (89–95) |
| Positive blood culture | 18 (48.7) | 35 (40.2) |
↵* Immunosuppressive agent included prednisone, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, or chemotherapy within 3 months. IQR: interquartile range; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; WBC: white blood cells; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; poly: polymorphonuclear neutrophils.