Makindo Medical Notes"One small step for man, one large step for Makindo" |
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Related Subjects: |Monoarticular arthritis |Polyarticular arthritis |Rheumatoid arthritis |Gout |Pseudogout |Septic Arthritis |Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) |Enteropathic Spondyloarthritis |Reactive Arthritis
β οΈ Acute monoarthritis requires urgent investigation and treatment.
π The key investigation is synovial fluid aspiration for Gram stain, culture, and crystal analysis (to diagnose gout or pseudogout).
β Always consult orthopaedics before aspirating a prosthetic joint.
| π Cause | π‘ Key Clues |
|---|---|
| π₯ Gout | Podagra (1st MTP), red-hot swollen joint, urate crystals (β birefringent). |
| π Pseudogout | Knee/wrist pain, chondrocalcinosis, CPPD crystals (+ birefringent). |
| π¦ Septic Arthritis | Rapid pain + fever. WCC >50,000, urgent IV abx + washout. |
| 𧬠Gonococcal Arthritis | Young, sexually active. Polyarthritis, tenosynovitis, skin lesions. |
| βοΈ Reactive Arthritis | Follows STI/GI infection. βCan't see, can't pee, can't climb a tree.β |
| π₯ Trauma / Haemarthrosis | Post-injury, anticoagulated, haemophilia. |
| π§© RA Flare | Sometimes monoarticular. Synovitis, not red-hot. |
| π¦Ύ Prosthetic Joint | NEVER aspirate without ortho advice. High infection risk. |
| π Other | Lyme, viral arthritis (parvovirus, hep B/C), SLE. |