Bacterial arthritis /

Septic arthritis is the purulent invasion of a joint by an infectious agent which produces arthritis. People with artificial joints are more at risk than the general population but have slightly different symptoms, are infected with different organisms and require different treatment. Septic arthritis is considered a medical emergency. If untreated, it may destroy the joint in a period of days. The infection may also spread to other parts of the body. The term "suppurative arthritis" is a near synonym for septic arthritis. ("Suppurative" refers to the production of pus, without necessarily implying sepsis.) ICD-10 uses the term "pyogenic arthritis". Pyogenic also refers to the production of pus. Reactive arthritis refers to arthritis caused by an immune consequence of an infection, but not directly attributable to the infection itself. The usual etiology of septic arthritis is bacterial, but viral, mycobacterial, and fungal arthritis occur occasionally. A broader term is "infectious arthritis", which describes arthritis caused by any infectious organism. Viruses can cause arthritis, but it can be hard to determine if the arthritis is directly due to the virus or if the arthritis is