Cross-sectional Study: Frequency of Microorganisms in Septic Arthritis in Children under Age 10 Years

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the frequency of microorganisms in septic arthritis in children under the age of 10 years in Peshawar. Method:After approval from hospital ethical board, patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled From the indoor department of Orthopedic of the hospital. A written informed consent was taken from all study participants after explaining the purpose of study. Complete history was taken and physical examinations were done including careful and gentle examination of the affected joint as per protocol. The involved joint was aspirated under sterile precautions in a separate procedure room under ultrasound guidance. Data was recorded by the researcher himself on especially designed proforma (annexure 1). Data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 22.0. Results: We included 171 patients with septic arthritis who met the inclusion criteria. Among 171 patients, 99 patients (57.9%) were males. The median age was 3. ). In our studies, 72 patients (42.1%) had staph. aureus on culture , 39 patients (22.8%) had group A streptococcus on culture, 34 patients (19.8%) had E.coli on culture, 17 patients (9.9%)  had streptococcus pneumoniae and 9 patients (5.2%) had other bacteria including  H.influenza , salmonella, P. auroginosa and N.gonorrhoea.