Bacterial arthritis.

Acute bacterial arthritis continues to be a common occurrence, and despite improved treatment regimens, the prognosis has not improved significantly over the past 20 years. During the past year, the emergence of unique predisposing factors for bacterial arthritis, including prosthetic joints and HIV infection, were emphasized. The long-standing debate regarding optimal drainage techniques has continued with the introduction of a new drainage procedure, tidal irrigation, in the treatment of septic knees.