Emergency Medical Minute Podcast 838: Sternoclavicular Septic Arthritis
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD
Educational Pearls:
- Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint is uncommon accounting for
- Immunosuppression and IV drug use increases the risk
- Can account for up to 17% of septic arthritis cases in patients who use IV drugs
- Symptoms are typically vague with pain presenting around where the sternum meets the clavicle
- Consider imaging with CT or MRI and draining/analyzing the fluid if possible
- Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, but surgery may be required to wash out joint and resect infected bone
- As septic arteritis of the sternoclavicular join is uncommon, remember that patients presenting multiple times for the same complaint require a broader differential and a more extensive workup so that less common conditions are not missed
References
Gonçalves RB, Grenho A, Correia J, Reis JE. Sternoclavicular joint septic arthritis in a healthy adult: a rare diagnosis with frequent complications. J Bone Jt Infect. 2021;6(9):389-392. doi:10.5194/jbji-6-389-2021
Thompson MA, Barlotta KS. Septic Arthritis of the Sternoclavicular Joint. J Emerg Med. Jul 2018;55(1):128-129. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.02.044
Summarized by Mark O'Brien, MS4 | Edited by John Spartz, MD, & Erik Verzemnieks, MD
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