Detailed Flow Chart
| Condition | Onset | # of Joint Involved | Red Flags/Key symptom | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🦠!Septic Arthritis | Acute | 1-3 | Painful swollen red joint, Hx of ⌛!Open Fracture | 🧪SFA - Synovial Fluid |
| 💥Crystalline Arthritis - 💥Gout | Acute | 1-3 | EXTREMELY Painful swollen red joint- Hx of 🫘CKD , 🍻Alcohol, ⏳Menopause | 🧪SFA - Synovial Fluid |
| Trauma | Acute | 1-3 | Hx of Trauma | 🧪SFA - Synovial Fluid, 2 Plane XR (Bone and Joint) |
| Common Marker | Normal | Non-inflammatory Arthritis (‣) | ‣ (‣ in mono) | !Septic Arthritis | !hemoarthrosis | ‣ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | yellow transparent | yellow transparent | exudative | Opaque, exudative | Bloody | Translucent |
| Viscosity | + | + | - | variable | variable | |
| WBC count | <200 | 200-2,000 | >2,000 | >80,000 (some says 50,000) | 2,000 - 80,000 | |
| PMN | <25% | <25% | > 50% | >75% | 50-75% | |
| Next Step - Special Test | Microscopy (Crystals) | GS, C & S | Cytology |