Study Status: Active, not recruiting
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Observational
Official Title: Utilization of Leukocyte Esterase in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Joint Infections
Brief Summary:
Pediatric joint infections are a common diagnostic dilemma encountered by treating orthopaedic surgeons. No single test is sensitive or specific enough to stand alone in determining the presence of joint infection.
The purpose of this study is to test the usefulness of a chemical test strip to detect infection in fluid that is removed from a joint (intra-articular aspiration) in pediatric patients. The test strip measures an enzyme called leukocyte esterase, which has been shown to be useful in detecting the presence of infection in fluids from other parts of the body. This study will assess the efficacy of the leukocyte esterase test as a diagnostic tool for evaluating pediatric joint infections. The hypothesis of the study is that a positive leukocyte esterase test identifies a septic joint in pediatric patients undergoing intraoperative joint aspiration.