Acute pediatric monoarticular arthritis: distinguishing lyme arthritis from other etiologies. 2009

Amy Thompson, and Rebekah Mannix, and Richard Bachur
Children's Hospital Boston, Division of Emergency Medicine, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA. amy.thompson@childrens.harvard.edu

OBJECTIVE Identify clinical predictors of Lyme arthritis among patients with acute monoarticular arthritis. METHODS A medical chart review was conducted of children </=18 years of age with monoarticular arthritis who underwent arthrocentesis in a pediatric emergency department located in the northeast United States. Patients were classified into 3 categories of arthritis: septic, Lyme, or nonseptic non-Lyme arthritis. Historical, clinical, and laboratory data were compared to identify distinguishing features of Lyme arthritis. RESULTS One hundred seventy-nine patients were studied: 46 (26%) patients with septic arthritis, 55 (31%) patients with Lyme arthritis, and 78 (43%) patients with nonseptic non-Lyme arthritis. Compared with those with septic arthritis, patients with Lyme disease were more likely to have a tick-bite history, knee involvement, and less likely to have a history of fever or elevated temperature at triage. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, joint white blood cell count, and joint neutrophil percentage were also statistically lower. In comparison to nonseptic non-Lyme arthritis, knee involvement and tick-bite history were predictors of Lyme. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, joint white blood cell count, and joint neutrophil percentage were also statistically different. Multivariate analysis comparing Lyme to septic arthritis demonstrated fever history and elevated C-reactive protein level to be negative predictors of Lyme arthritis and knee involvement to be a positive predictor (model sensitivity: 88%; specificity: 82%). CONCLUSIONS Lyme arthritis shares features with both septic and nonseptic non-Lyme arthritis. This overlap prevents the creation of a clinically useful predictive model for Lyme arthritis. In endemic areas, Lyme testing should be performed on all patients presenting with acute monoarticular arthritis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007719 Knee Joint A synovial hinge connection formed between the bones of the FEMUR; TIBIA; and PATELLA. Superior Tibiofibular Joint,Joint, Knee,Joint, Superior Tibiofibular,Knee Joints,Superior Tibiofibular Joints,Tibiofibular Joint, Superior
D007958 Leukocyte Count The number of WHITE BLOOD CELLS per unit volume in venous BLOOD. A differential leukocyte count measures the relative numbers of the different types of white cells. Blood Cell Count, White,Differential Leukocyte Count,Leukocyte Count, Differential,Leukocyte Number,White Blood Cell Count,Count, Differential Leukocyte,Count, Leukocyte,Counts, Differential Leukocyte,Counts, Leukocyte,Differential Leukocyte Counts,Leukocyte Counts,Leukocyte Counts, Differential,Leukocyte Numbers,Number, Leukocyte,Numbers, Leukocyte
D008193 Lyme Disease An infectious disease caused by a spirochete, BORRELIA BURGDORFERI, which is transmitted chiefly by Ixodes dammini (see IXODES) and pacificus ticks in the United States and Ixodes ricinis (see IXODES) in Europe. It is a disease with early and late cutaneous manifestations plus involvement of the nervous system, heart, eye, and joints in variable combinations. The disease was formerly known as Lyme arthritis and first discovered at Old Lyme, Connecticut. Lyme Borreliosis,B. burgdorferi Infection,Borrelia burgdorferi Infection,Lyme Arthritis,Arthritis, Lyme,B. burgdorferi Infections,Borrelia burgdorferi Infections,Borreliosis, Lyme,Disease, Lyme
D008297 Male Males
D009504 Neutrophils Granular leukocytes having a nucleus with three to five lobes connected by slender threads of chromatin, and cytoplasm containing fine inconspicuous granules and stainable by neutral dyes. LE Cells,Leukocytes, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils,Neutrophil Band Cells,Band Cell, Neutrophil,Cell, LE,LE Cell,Leukocyte, Polymorphonuclear,Neutrophil,Neutrophil Band Cell,Neutrophil, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil
D001799 Blood Sedimentation Measurement of rate of settling of ERYTHROCYTES in blood. Erythrocyte Sedimentation,Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate,Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rates,Rate, Erythrocyte Sedimentation,Rates, Erythrocyte Sedimentation,Sedimentation Rate, Erythrocyte,Sedimentation Rates, Erythrocyte,Sedimentation, Blood,Sedimentation, Erythrocyte
D002097 C-Reactive Protein A plasma protein that circulates in increased amounts during inflammation and after tissue damage. C-Reactive Protein measured by more sensitive methods often for coronary heart disease risk assessment is referred to as High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP). High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein,hs-CRP,hsCRP,C Reactive Protein,High Sensitivity C Reactive Protein
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional

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