Infection-related arthritis is transient arthritis that can occur after bacterial or viral infections. Arthritis is often treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications.

Infection-related reactive arthritis is an umbrella term that also includes rheumatic fever, Lyme arthritis and poststreptococcal reactive arthritis. Children with infection-related arthritis often complain of joint pain. Other symptoms include rashes and fever. Children with strep throat can develop rheumatic fever if not treated promptly with antibiotics. Those infected by ticks can develop Lyme disease. Children with certain kinds of infections related to the gastrointestinal track may experience reactive arthritis.

Infection-Related Reactive Arthritis Care at Children’s Wisconsin

Treatment depends on the type of infection your child has, its severity and its origin. Children whose symptoms are traced to bacteria are treated with antibiotics. There is no treatment for viral infections, so rest and fluids are recommended.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) — formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) — is the most common type of arthritis in children younger than 16 years old. Arthritis is inflammation of the joints, causing pain, stiffness and joint swelling. Although we are not entirely sure yet what causes JIA, research suggests it is an autoimmune condition, meaning your child’s immune system has started attacking their healthy cells and tissues.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Care at Children’s Wisconsin

There is no single test for JIA. Doctors diagnose it based on symptoms, a physical exam and lab tests to rule out other problems. They look for joint swelling that has lasted for at least six weeks. Treatment of JIA centers on the following basic goals: to maintain function, prevent progression, and reduce disease activity. Our treatment plan is designed especially for your child’s needs and might include medication, physical/occupational therapy, healthy dietary patterns and education for you and your child.

Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis (JAS) is a kind of arthritis that mostly affects your spine or backbone. It can also cause problems where your muscles and other tissues connect to your bones.

This disease can cause a few things to happen:

• The joint where your spine and hip bone meet can wear down.
• Bones in your spine can start to grow together, like they are being glued.
• Sometimes, even the bones in your chest can become fused.

Symptoms and Treatment

Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis (JAS) can cause different symptoms that often come and go. Here are some of the most common signs:

Pain and Stiffness

• Enthesitis: This is when the spots where your muscles and other tissues attach to your bones get painful.
• Joint pain: You might feel pain in your joints, especially in your legs.
• Achy feelings: Some people feel a dull, achy pain in their buttocks, thighs, heels, or near their shoulders.
• Morning stiffness: Your joints might feel very stiff, especially when you first wake up.
• Back pain: This pain is often worse at night when you're resting.
• Stooped posture: To get some relief from the back pain, you might find yourself bending forward.

• Changes in appetite: You might not feel like eating.
• Weight loss: You could lose weight without trying.
• Tiredness: You might feel very tired or run down.
• Fever: You may have a fever.
• Anemia: This is when you don't have enough healthy red blood cells, which can make you feel weak.
• Eye problems: Your eyes might become red, painful, and sensitive to light. This can happen over and over again.
• Trouble breathing: If the joints in your ribs and spine are affected, it can be hard to take a deep breath.

Septic arthritis is a serious sickness where germs, usually bacteria, get into a joint and cause an infection. The germs often travel through your blood from another sick part of your body, like an ear infection. They can also get into a joint from a cut, surgery, or a shot. The most common germ that causes this is called Staphylococcus aureus. Usually, only one joint gets infected, but it can be very painful. The knees, hips, ankles, elbows, and wrists are the joints that most often get infected.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The signs of septic arthritis are a fever, bad joint pain, and a swollen, red, and warm joint. A person with this sickness might also have trouble moving the sore joint and will try to protect it so no one touches it. Because these signs can be like other health problems, it's important to get a correct diagnosis fast to stop the joint from getting permanently damaged. To figure out if someone has septic arthritis, doctors might take out some fluid from the joint to test it, do blood tests to look for germs, or use machines like X-rays to see inside the joint.

Treatment

Septic arthritis needs to be treated right away and usually requires a trip to the Emergency Department to help with diagnosis. Usually, doctors give you antibiotics to fight the germs. If the infection is caused by a different type of germ, you might get a different kind of medicine, or your body might just have to fight it on its own. To stop pus from building up and hurting the joint, doctors might drain it with a needle, a tube, or even surgery. The treatment plan also includes other things to help you feel better, like pain medicine, physical therapy to keep your muscles strong, and a splint to help with the pain.