TY - JOUR
AR - CMR-2021-1-102
TI - Staphylococcal and Streptococcal Septic Arthritis in the Elderly
AU - Don Walter, Kannangara
AU - D. , Pandya
AU - R. , Anmolsingh
JO - Clinical Microbiology and Research
PY - 2021
DA - Mon 22, Feb 2021
SN - 2674-418X
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.CMR.2021.01.02
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/staphylococcal-and-streptococcal-septic-arthritis-in-the-elderly_CMR-2021-1-102 
KW -  Septic arthritis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus
AB - In our study, septic arthritis due to Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcal species was more common in the elderly. This contrasts with Lyme arthritis which has a higher incidence in younger patients. The majority of joint infections were in the elderly, with a median age of 65 (range 14-95) for Staphylococcus aureus and 70 for Streptococcal species. The age range of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) septic arthritis was 27-95 (median 72) with 39/53 (73.6%) above age 60. The age range of Streptococcal arthritis patients was 36-86 (median 70). There were more males with septic arthritis for both Staphylococcus aureus (86/134) 64% and streptococci (12/22) 55%. The most frequently involved joint was the knee, 49.3% for S. aureus followed by hip (23.9%), elbow (14.3%), shoulder (14%), wrist (1.5%), ankle (0.75%) and sternoclavicular (0.75%). The knee was affected in 81% of Streptococcal infections, with the rest equally divided between the hip, elbow, acromioclavicular and ankle joints. The history of prior joint replacement in patients with septic arthritis was 21/28 (80%) for MRSA, 36/102 (35.3%) for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and 9/21 (43%) for streptococcal arthritis suggestive of healthcare-associated infections. Our results suggest a need for improvements to prevent the entry of pathogens into the surgical site during and after surgery.