Masaya Shiraishi

Septic Arthritis of the Knee Joint Followed by Common Cold in an Infant

We treated a comparatively rare case of septic arthritis of the knee joint followed by common cold in an infant, caused by β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae (BLNAR). The patient was 9 months of age. Knee joint arthritis symptoms appeared following common cold and middle ear infection. We detected H. influenzae from the fluid of the knee joint, and from the effusion of the middle ear and throat. The results of bacteriological tests indicated BLNAR. It was treated by surgical drainage and antibiotics injection. BLNAR is rapidly increasing in recent years. BLNAR can therefore be suspected when infantile septic arthritis especially following common cold. In this case, it is very important to detect the joint fluid by bacteriological tests and carefully select the antibiotics to use without residual disability.