Percutaneous
catheter drainage to treat
suppurative arthritis was performed in five joints in five patients. Joints drained included the hip in two cases and one case each of a hip joint
prosthesis, an ankle joint, and a glenohumeral joint. Organisms isolated from the joints included Staphylococcus aureus in one hip joint and the
hip prosthesis, and Haemophilus influenzae in the ankle joint. Specific organisms were not isolated in the other hip joint or in the shoulder joint. Systemic
antibiotic therapy was used in all five patients, and in two patients
gentamicin was instilled through the
catheters. Joint
infection was managed successfully with
catheter drainage and
antibiotics in three patients. In all three cases, the range of motion was restored and the patients became free of
pain after
catheter drainage. These three patients remained asymptomatic at follow-up ranging from 3 weeks to 9 months. In two patients, percutaneous drainage failed. In one patient, the
catheter positions could not be maintained and the
catheters repeatedly became dislodged. In the other, superimposed
osteomyelitis necessitated surgical
debridement. No complications occurred. Our experience suggests that
suppurative arthritis can be successfully treated with drainage of the joint via a percutaneous
catheter in combination with
antibiotic therapy.