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Emergency Orthopedics, 6e
| Part I. Orthopedic Principles and Management > |
General Principles
Sections: History, Examination, Monoarticular versus Polyarticular Arthritis, Acute Monoarthritis, Clinical Presentation, Arthrocentesis, Synovial Fluid Analysis, Polyarthritis.
Excerpt:
"In approaching a patient with joint pain, the emergency physician should first remember that the source of the pain may be articular or periarticular (i.e., bursitis, tendonitis). When it has been determined that the origin of the pain is the joint itself, arthritis is the appropriate terminology if an inflammatory process is the cause. Noninflammatory joint pain is termed arthralgia.Evaluation begins with a thorough history. The physician should first determine when the pain started. An acute onset (hours to 1 week) suggests trauma, infection, or crystal-induced arthritis. A history of similar attacks may support a diagnosis of crystal-induced arthritis. Chronic joint pain usually suggests a chronic problem, but the clinician should be careful to note any new features that are unusual to the patient and might signify a concomitant condition (i.e., a septic joint in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis).The three most common causes of acute monarthritis in adults are crystals, trauma, and infection.6 Although over 100 different causes of arthritis exist, there is none more important to the emergency..."
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