Abstract
Background: Pediatric septic hip is a serious condition that must be recognized and treated as early as possible. We describe the clinical course of children with septic hip that were treated with aspiration of the hip joint in the Emergency Department (AHED).
Methods: Retrospective cases series analysis
Results: Between 1.1.2007 and 31.12.2014, 17 children with septic hip were diagnosed by emergency physicians using point of care ultrasound. All were treated with AHED. During hospital admission, a median of 2 (IQR 2-3) follow-up sonographic examinations per patient were performed; 10 (59%) patients did not have another hip aspiration, and 7 (41%) had a median of 1 (IQR 1-3) hip joint aspirations under sedation. Median length of antibiotic treatment was 28 days (IQR 21-40). No patient underwent arthrotomy, and all recovered without disability in up to four years of follow-up.
Conclusions: The results of this cohort suggest that AHED with repeated aspirations as needed, is an effective treatment for children with septic hip. Our findings support the hypothesis that early diagnosis and early treatment improves the prognosis of children with septic hip.
