HanoiA 15-year-old boy had pain in his left knee joint due to playing sports regularly but was subjective, thinking it was a trivial illness. Upon examination, he was found to be infected with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which is life-threatening.
On April 4, Doctor Tran Van Bac, Deputy Head of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, said that the patient was admitted to the hospital when his left knee joint became increasingly painful and swollen, he could not stretch his leg, and his arm joint was also red and swollen. .
The teenager had a healthy history, played sports regularly, and recently had left knee pain. Before that, I went to the local medical facility for examination and was diagnosed with purulent arthritis of the left knee and osteomyelitis of the lower left femur. The surgeon dredged up the dead bone, incised the pus and cultured Staphylococcus aureus, and the patient was transferred to the Department of Pediatrics – Central Tropical Diseases Hospital for further treatment.
Family members said that before he got sick, the male student had played soccer and had scratches on his leg but did not pay attention. According to doctors, this may be the incubation period for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (drug-resistant staphylococcus). This is an opportunistic infection, common in people with injuries and ulcers. Open wounds are also places where this bacteria can easily enter.
Patient treated at the hospital. Image: Hospital provided
Doctor Bac commented that the above case is rare because the patient is young and has no previous diseases. Drug-resistant staphylococcus is often found in the hospital environment, while patients are infected with drug-resistant bacteria in the community – methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (drug-resistant staphylococcus). Therefore, treating future infections from community-acquired bacteria may be more difficult. This is a deep infection, in the bone, and requires a lot of time to treat. If patients do not receive timely treatment, they are at risk of developing pyogenic arthritis and osteomyelitis.
Infections can happen to anyone, regardless of age or gender. Some groups of people are at higher risk, including infants and young children, and the elderly, who, due to weak immune systems, are susceptible to infections. People living in unsanitary environments, without access to adequate medical care, are also at risk.
To prevent skin and soft tissue infections, bone marrow infections caused by staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria, doctors recommend that when there are scratches or pustules, the wound must be treated properly and kept clean. avoid the risk of infection and the formation of deep, dangerous foci of disease, especially deep foci of infection such as arthritis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and organ abscesses.
In case there are signs of joint swelling like the patient above, you must get screened early. If left late, there is a risk of pus arthritis and osteomyelitis.