PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE ED - , TI - The management of septic arthritis AID - 10.1136/dtb.2003.41965 DP - 2003 Sep 01 TA - Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin PG - 65--68 VI - 41 IP - 9 4099 - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/41/9/65.short 4100 - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/41/9/65.full SO - Drug Ther Bull2003 Sep 01; 41 AB - Septic arthritis - infection with resulting inflammation within a joint - is an emergency. Not only can it rapidly destroy a joint or irreversibly impair joint function, it may be fatal.1 So although the condition is not common, affecting between 2 and 10 per 100,000 people each year in the UK, it must be recognised and tackled promptly. Here we review the management of septic arthritis, particularly that of bacterial origin.