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Combined leukocyte esterase and glucose strip tests can help confirm septic arthritis
Use of combined leukocyte esterase and glucose strip tests can help confirm or rule out a diagnosis of septic arthritis, according to study results.
Researchers investigated synovial fluid from 146 patients with an atraumatic joint effusion who underwent arthrocentesis during a 1-year period. The researchers performed leukocyte esterase and glucose strip tests on the synovial fluid and assessed synovial fluid leukocyte count, crystal analysis, Gram staining, culture and glucose concentration results.
Overall, the researchers classified 19 fluids as septic and 127 as aseptic. Results showed a sensitivity of 89.5%, specificity of 99.2%, positive predictive value of 94.4%, negative predictive value of 98.4%, positive likelihood ratio of 114 and negative likelihood ratio of 0.11 if the researchers considered septic arthritis to be present when the leukocyte esterase reading was positive and the glucose reading was negative.
Consistencies were found between the synovial leukocyte counts and polymorphonuclear cell percentages with the semiquantitative readings on the leukocyte esterase strip tests, as well as between the glucose concentrations with the glucose strip test results, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: Omar has no relevant financial interests to disclose. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.