Septic arthritis of the native hip joint and septic pulmonary embolism in an adult with sickle cell trait after a complicated dental extraction

Septic arthritis (SA) is a serious infection of the joint which can lead to irreversible destruction of the joint. We report a case of right hip SA with septic pulmonary embolism following a complicated dental extraction in a woman in her early 40s with sickle cell trait (SCT). The patient presented with severe right thigh pain and left jaw pain. Initial workup revealed raised C reactive protein and positive blood cultures. Right hip joint SA was confirmed following intraoperative joint aspiration. The patient had right hip debridement with long-term intravenous antibiotics. The incidence of SA in adults with sickle cell disease is low: 0.3% in a study in France and Brazil and 10.3% incidence of haematogenous osteoarticular infection in children with SCT in West Africa.