Infectious Arthritis, Research Paper Example

Hypothesis/purpose statement

• This “Infectious Arthritis” is Descriptive research study published by the University of Washington Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, on their official website. As this is a descriptive research study, the purpose is to inform the reader about current knowledge concerning infectious arthritis, and there is no discernible hypothesis to prove or disprove.

Design of study

• Why was the type of study chosen for this research? Descriptive research design was chosen for this research due to the ability of this research style to familiarize the reader with contemporary understanding within the topic of infectious arthritis. The key goal of descriptive studies are to set the ground floor for extensive study of alternative design, once there is a clear understanding of contemporary trends and challenges.

Outcomes (what the study revealed)

• Primary: The core knowledge revealed in the articles is information oriented. Infectious arthritis is identified by its other name, ‘septic arthritis’, and it is also made clear to the reader that this condition is the product of an infection, specifically one cause by germs, bacteria, viruses or fungi. Arthritis is explained in detail as a joint inflammation, but infectious arthritis is recognized as a significantly different subset of arthritis in the fact that it’s a short term illness and actually curable in most cases. That said, the versatility of infectious arthritis also spreads as any human being can
• Secondary: Symptoms, Causes and treatments makeup the secondary knowledge of the paper. The articles notes that the most recognizable symptom being a condition identified as ‘erythema nodosum.’ This is a condition where the patient has red bumps on their skin in the lower leg region. These rash-like symptoms sometimes extend beyond just the lower leg region to other parts of the body as they are inflamed and volatile.  Other symptoms the article mentions are inflammation of the ankle, as well as other joints or fever.

Effect(s) of follow up

• A wide range of effects are mentioned as results of the mentioned causes and symptoms. The bacteria that causes tuberculosis is identified as a trigger for infectious arthritis. Infectious arthritis is identified as an effect of sicknesses like Lyme disease and Gonorrhea. A list of the effects caused by contracting bacterial, fungal, or viral infections  as they relate to infectious arthritis are noted, such as:

Bacterial

-Accompanied by fever and shaking from chills

-Can be cured by taking antibiotics.

-Usually caught from contact with a certain location or area..

Viral

-Results in aching

-Can’t be cured by antibiotics

-Tends to cure itself

-Aching pain is a common symptom

Fungal

-Treated through anti-fungal medication treatments

-Has a slow indication and spreads slowly over a long period of time. (U.W. Medicine, 2012)

Diagnosis

Factors that a doctor will use to determine whether a patient has infectious arthritis are mentioned in depth, such as illnesses contracted through travel, medical history has an effect when infectious arthritis is the product of a viral infection. X-Rays are usually used to identify joint damage, but they have very little use for identifying infections caused by germs. Bacteria are usually identified by testing urine, blood, or the affected area of the body (U.W. Medicine, 2012).

Results

The Study demonstrated no results as it was a descriptive research design styled article.

Discussion

As the article is not a traditional study with a Hypothesis and a purpose, but a descriptive study, designed to just inform the reader of an advanced in-depth understanding of infectious arthritis, it makes sense that the piece would not end with any major conclusion or results. Diagnosis causes and symptoms are mentioned as well as a thorough background of information on the condition. Infectious arthritis is distinguished from the traditional understanding of arthritis. Descriptive research design is constructed for the purpose of setting a base of authoritative information for studies to reference. This research does an exceptional job of providing retrievable data to collaborate with future qualitative and quantitative studies in regards toe infectious arthritis research.

Work Cited

U.W. Medicine. (2012). Infectious Arthritis. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/riskfactors/riskfactors.html