Osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in children.

Osteomyelitis is an infection in bone most frequently occurring in children. The current incidence is 1 in 5000. Septic arthritis is an infection of a synovial joint which may occur in all age groups in children but has a specific infantile form affecting the infant from birth to the first year of life. The majority of infections of bone or joint are caused by spread of bacteriae through the bloodstream or occasionally by entry of organisms through an open wound, by puncture or by extension of infection from adjacent tissue. The most common causative organism is Staphylococcus aureus but many other organisms may be responsible for a bone or joint infection. The treatment of both osteomyelitis and septic arthritis is based on antibiotic therapy in combination with surgical drainage if pus or infected tissue is present. Early diagnosis followed by adequate treatment gives good outcome. Inappropriate or delayed treatment may result in chronic osteomyelitis or irreversible joint destruction.