Septic Arthritis
Understanding Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology is a situation where a particular physiological process related to specific diseases or injuries occurs. It is predominant in the elderly and children either on individual body organ or part. Pathophysiology is its study. Judy et al. (2018) studied how diseases and injuries affect the proper functioning of body systems, leading to severe health conditions. Here “patho” comes from the word pathogens, which are diseases causing agents, and “physiology” is the study of the functioning of the body. The two terms combine to form the basis of the study. Pathophysiology can be explained using a case study of one patient; John D’Souza is used.
Discussion
John D’Souza’s case is similar to the signs and symptoms of septic arthritis. According to the scenario, D’Souza has a swollen, hot, red, and painful knee, which triggers a pain score of 8/10 on NPRS. He has a body temperature of 38 degrees Celsius, a respiratory rate of 22bpm, and his blood pressure reads 90/50mmHg. His heart rate reads at 120bpm and had deformities of the proximal interphalangeal joints, metacarpophalangeal joints, and wrists on both of his hands. In children and adults, streptococcus and staphylococcus are the common bacteria that cause septic arthritis. The fungi linked with septic arthritis include Blastomyces, coccidiomyces, and Histoplasma. Infections caused by fungi are slow in development. The elderly and children are at a higher risk.
According to Mathews et al. (2010), septic arthritis or infectious arthritis is an illness caused by bacteria, fungus, or virus. One of the common symptoms of septic arthritis present in D’Souza’s case is joint inflammation, which can be severe to the extent of causing severe body complications. Manifests when the bacteria spread throughout the body, A concept was laid out in understanding the pathophysiology of Judy Clark and its company in their journal. Septic arthritis affects a single large joint in the body like the hip or knee and may affect other joints under severe conditions. Baranwal et al. (2017). For instance, the bacteria may enter the body through an open wound or a body opening made during surgical procedures.
Löffler et al. (2017) suggested that a septic arthritis patient’s joint infections due to bacteremia are triggered by the initial growth of microorganisms in the synovial membrane. The synovial membrane starts experiencing quick inflammations triggering an increment of leucocytes in the synovial fluid regardless of the sterile liquid. This increment in leucocytes can affect the normal functioning of the body. A scenario better explained by Judy Clark and the company. The fluid culture reveals the infection etiology after the microorganisms spread into the fluid in joints causing severe clinical conditions. The pathologic impacts vary following infection duration and the host’s resistance mechanism towards the organism. In early septic arthritis infection, inflammatory changes may be experienced only in the synovium, but further spread leads to damage to joint structures, causing vulnerabilities in articular cartilage due to avascular tissue presence. Baranwal et al. (2017) observe that reactive arthritis is the cause of a sterile inflammatory process that later results to further infection in the articular cartilage. In doing this, Baranwel tried to show pathophysiology, a concept borrowed by Clark to help us understand it in their findings. Bacterial infections are most rapid, causing severe damage, unlike viruses.
Bariteau et al. (2014), on the other hand, says that in acute septic arthritis, the cartilages start dissolving at the first point of contact before it spreads to other areas. Abnormalities in the synovia fluid comprise mucin precipitate presence, turbidity increase, activation of proteolytic enzymes, low glucose concentration, reduced PH, and increased pressure. Boff et al. (2018) observe that the clinical manifestations of septic arthritis are affected by the patient’s age, joints, and the etiological agent involved. Clinical signs among patients include inflammatory joints, effusions in small joints, skin lessons of gonococci anorexia, headache, chills, and fever.clinically varying in different patients.
Dias et al. (2014) affirm that non-gonococcal acute septic arthritis in adults occurs between 0.034% to 0.13%, with patients showing a high risk of pathophysiology. Most of the cases, almost 90% involve mono-articular, and 50% of the cases involving knees. 4748484 asserts that after a bacterial invasion, bacteria trappings are left in the vascular synovium, multiplying in the sub synovium. As such, the host responds by producing an acute inflammatory reaction to fight the pathogens. If this fails, severe clinical manifestation occurs. The inflammatory is mainly due to enzymes released by the body and toxins released by the bacteria stimulating the T-cells, destroying the articular cartilage. The revascularization process and synovial proliferation may trigger pressure intracavitary increase and purulent fluid accumulation. Tumour necrosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines may also show.
Conclusion
In conclusion, clinical symptoms of septic arthritis may vary depending on the patient’s age, causative agent, and area of infection. As such, the only key to diagnosis is a follow up of the patient’s clinical history, an examination of the affected areas, and physical examination. The case above tries to show us how arthritis can cause pathophysiology to occur in a patient.