Joint pain rarely requires emergency medical intervention. But if it’s
caused by septic bursitis, prompt treatment is required. Here’s what you
need to know about septic bursitis, including its causes, symptoms, and
treatments.

Bursae and bursitis

Bursitis

is the inflammation of a small, fluid-filled sac called a bursa. Bursae (the
plural of bursa, which is pronounced bur-SEE) cushion and lubricate your
joints so they can move smoothly and painlessly. You have more than 150
bursae in your body. The major ones are found near large joints, such as the
ones in your shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.

Each bursa has a thin outer membrane that produces a small amount of fluid
to lubricate your joints. Sometimes, that membrane thickens and produces an
excessive amount of fluid, causing the bursa to swell painfully. That’s
bursitis.

Bursitis can be caused by overusing a joint, usually by repeatedly moving it
in the same manner. Other causes of bursitis include injury,

rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and
infection. Bursitis caused by infection is called

septic bursitis. Unless it’s promptly treated with antibiotics, the infection may spread
into your blood, which can be life-threatening.

Septic bursitis causes

A bursa usually

becomes infected

when bacteria enter it through a skin injury, such as a scrape or cut.
That’s why septic bursitis usually occurs in your knee or elbow where the
bursae are close to your skin.

Infections also can spread to bursa from blood or nearby tissue. That’s one
cause of septic bursitis in joints located between bone and muscle, such as
the ones in your hips and shoulders.

Bursitis in deep bursae also can result from a previous medical procedure.
That can be an operation; an injection of

corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation; or an aspiration, in which a needle is used to
remove fluid from a bursa or joint.

Risk factors

Septic bursitis happens

more commonly

in males. Fifty is the average age at which people first get it.

If you spend a lot of time engaging in occupational or recreational
activities could injure your knees or elbows, you’re more likely than the
average person to get septic bursitis.

Certain conditions

also increase your risk of getting septic bursitis. They include diabetes,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and arthritis. Alcoholism and
medicines that suppress your immune system, such as corticosteroids, also
increase your risk of getting septic bursitis.

Symptoms and diagnosis

The symptoms of septic bursitis include swelling, stiffness, tenderness, and
pain. You may also feel generally unwell and develop a fever.

The skin over the infected bursae may be red and warm to the touch. It also
may show signs of an infection, such as a patchy appearance, a rash, bumps,
and sores.

To make a diagnosis, health care providers generally begin by reviewing your
medical history and giving you a physical exam, which will help them see if
you’re showing signs of an infection.

They may also

remove fluid

from the affected bursa or bursae. This is usually performed with a needle,
but sometimes requires a

minor surgery

instead.

Removing some of the fluid from the bursa or bursae should make you more
comfortable. It also will allow your medical professional to see if:

• You have a high number of white blood cells, which indicates an infection.

• Your glucose levels are significantly lower than normal, which may indicate
infection.

• There are crystals in your bursal fluid, which could suggest that you have
gout and

pseudogout.

• Certain infectious bacteria are present. To determine this, your medical
professional will run a test called a gram stain.

Treatment

If your doctor diagnoses you with septic bursitis, they very likely will
prescribe antibiotics. The type and dose of antibiotic, as well as how long
you should take it, will depend on your condition and the bacteria causing
the infection.If the infection is advanced, or
complications have developed, you may be given antibiotics intravenously.