Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Septic Arthritis in 25 Adults at a Tertiary Hospital in Cambodia: A Single-Center Retrospective Case Series.

Authors

Theara Phina, Pheng Ann Kao, Vireak Khun, Veasna Heng, Ponndara Ith, Setha Limsreng

Published in

Cureus. Volume 18. Issue 9. Pages e116082. Epub Sep 10, 2026.

Abstract

Introduction Septic arthritis (SA) is a potentially destructive joint infection requiring timely diagnosis and treatment. Published adult data from Cambodia are limited, and local microbiological patterns may differ from those reported in other settings. Objective The objective of this study is to describe the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and available microbiological characteristics of adults treated for SA in a tertiary hospital in Cambodia. Materials and methods We conducted a small, single-center retrospective descriptive case series of 25 adults admitted to Medicine Ward B-A5, Calmette Hospital, from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024. Data were abstracted from medical records. Microbiological results were recorded as documented in the charts; detailed specimen-processing, organism-identification, and antimicrobial-susceptibility methods were not consistently available. Prior antibiotic exposure before presentation and treatment outcomes were also not consistently documented and were not analyzed. Results Among 25 patients, 15 (60%) were male, and the mean age was 49.52 ± 12.24 years. Ten (40%) were farmers and 21 (84%) lived outside Phnom Penh. Diabetes mellitus and alcohol use were each documented in 12 patients (48%). Joint pain (20/25, 80%), fever (16/25, 64%), and joint swelling (15/25, 60%) were common. The knee was affected in 17 patients (68%). An organism was reported from blood and/or synovial fluid culture in 13 patients (52%). Burkholderia pseudomallei was reported in five patients, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in three, Mycobacterium tuberculosis in two, and Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii in one patient each. These organism frequencies should be interpreted as record-based observations rather than estimates of pathogen distribution. Conclusion This small single-center series describes the clinical experience of 25 adults with SA at a Cambodian tertiary referral hospital. The frequent recording of B. pseudomallei is clinically notable in the context of recognized melioidosis in Cambodia, but the small sample, referral setting, culture-negative cases, and incomplete microbiological documentation preclude conclusions about national pathogen prevalence. Larger multicenter studies using standardized microbiological methods and systematic treatment and outcome data are needed.

PMID:
42861161
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Oct 2026.

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