| Feature | Septic Arthritis | Reactive Arthritis |
| Joint Involvement | Monoarthritis (single joint, commonly the knee) | Migratory oligoarthritis (lower limbs, knees, and ankles) |
| Symptoms | Fever, pain, swelling, limited movement, warmth of joint | Painful joints, back pain, no fever, extra-articular symptoms |
| Risk Factors | Steroid use, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus | Recent urogenital or gastrointestinal infection |
| Causative Organisms | Staphylococcus aureus (most common), N. gonorrhea (in young, sexually active individuals) | No specific organism, often post-infectious |
| Diagnosis | Aspiration of synovial fluid (staining, microscopy, WBC count, culture), blood culture | Clinical diagnosis, supported by recent infection history |
| Management | Flucloxacillin (first-line), clindamycin (if penicillin allergic), cefotaxime or ceftriaxone for gonococcal infections, repeated percutaneous aspiration if needed | Symptomatic treatment (analgesia, NSAIDs, intra-articular steroids), sulfasalazine and methotrexate for persistent cases |
| Duration of Treatment | IV antibiotics for 1 week until blood cultures are negative, followed by oral antibiotics for 4 weeks | Symptoms rarely last more than 12 months |
| Extra-articular Features | Not typical | Conjunctivitis, uveitis, urethritis (Reiter’s triad), skin manifestations (circinate balanitis, keratoderma blenorrhagica, erythema nodosum) |
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