Final answer:
The Kocher criteria are a set of diagnostic guidelines used to determine the likelihood of septic arthritis being the underlying cause of joint inflammation, which involves various clinical factors such as fever and limited joint movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Kocher criteria for septic arthritis are a set of guidelines used to evaluate the likelihood that arthritis in a joint is caused by an infectious process, specifically bacterial infection. The criteria include clinical factors such as fever, inability to bear weight or limited movement in the affected joint, elevated white blood cell count, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein levels. These factors help clinicians decide when to perform further diagnostic procedures like joint fluid analysis or when to initiate treatment for septic arthritis.
Septic arthritis, also known as infectious arthritis, is characterized by inflammation of joint tissues and is most often caused by bacterial pathogens such as S. aureus. Diagnosis typically requires the aspiration of synovial fluid to identify the potential pathogen through direct microscopy, culture, PCR analyses, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Appropriate antimicrobial drugs are then administrated based on testing to treat the infection and prevent severe complications like joint damage or high mortality rates, especially among elderly patients.