Articles | Volume 10, issue 2 
            
                
                    
            
            
            https://doi.org/10.5194/jbji-10-61-2025
                    © Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/jbji-10-61-2025
                    © Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Multi-centre evaluation of Gram stain in the diagnosis of septic arthritis
Charlotte Smith
                                            Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, Centre Court, Atlas Way, Sheffield, S4 7QQ, UK
                                        
                                    Robert J. Maloney
                                            Department of Infection, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK
                                        
                                    Deborah Wearmouth
                                            Department of Infection, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK
                                        
                                    Hemant Sharma
                                            Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK
                                        
                                    Kordo Saeed
                                            Department of Infection, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
                                        
                                    
                                            School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
                                        
                                    Nusreen Ahmad-Saeed
                                            Department of Infection, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
                                        
                                    Rachel Annett
                                            Public Health Wales, Hot Lab University Hospital of Llandough, Cardiff, Wales, UK
                                        
                                    Lucinda Barrett
                                            Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), Oxford, UK
                                        
                                    Sara E. Boyd
                                            David Price Evans Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Group,  University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
                                        
                                    
                                            National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0HS, UK
                                        
                                    
                                            Infection Clinical Academic Group, St. George's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,  Blackshaw Road, London, SW17 0QT, UK
                                        
                                    Peter Davies
                                            Department of Microbiology, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow Royal Infirmary,  New Lister Building, Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, UK
                                        
                                    Harriet Hughes
                                            Public Health Wales Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK
                                        
                                    Gwennan Jones
                                            Public Health Wales Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK
                                        
                                    Laura Leach
                                            Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), Oxford, UK
                                        
                                    Maureen Lynch
                                            Department of Clinical Microbiology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
                                        
                                    Deepa Nayar
                                            Department of Microbiology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,  Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
                                        
                                    Martin Marsh
                                            Department of Orthopaedics, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,  Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
                                        
                                    Shanine Mitchell
                                            Public Health Wales Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK
                                        
                                    Lynn Moffat
                                            Department of Microbiology, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow Royal Infirmary,  New Lister Building, Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, UK
                                        
                                    Luke S. P. Moore
                                            National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0HS, UK
                                        
                                    
                                            Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
                                        
                                    
                                            Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, North West London Pathology, Fulham Palace Road, London, UK
                                        
                                    Michael E. Murphy
                                            Department of Microbiology, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow Royal Infirmary,  New Lister Building, Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, UK
                                        
                                    
                                            College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow,  Wolfson Medical School Building, Glasgow, UK
                                        
                                    Shaan Ashk O'Shea
                                            Department of Infection, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
                                        
                                    Teresa Peach
                                            Public Health Wales, Health Protection and Infection Division, Capital Quarter, Cardiff, Wales, UK
                                        
                                    Christina Petridou
                                            Department of Infection, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Winchester, UK
                                        
                                    Niamh Reidy
                                            Public Health Wales Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales, UK
                                        
                                    Ben Talbot
                                            Department of Microbiology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,  Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
                                        
                                    Catherine Aldridge
                                            College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow,  Wolfson Medical School Building, Glasgow, UK
                                        
                                    Gavin Barlow
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
                                            
                                    
                                            Department of Infection, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK
                                        
                                    
                                            Experimental Medicine and Biomedicine, York Biomedical Research Institute,  Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
                                        
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Short summary
            Urgent analysis of joint fluid is a common test in patients with possible septic arthritis (bacterial infection of a joint). One aspect of this test, called the Gram stain, is considered important clinically, but previous single hospital studies have suggested it will miss a considerable number of infections. This large multi-hospital UK study assessed this test and found that it will miss 73 % of infections, questioning its value. More research on rapid tests using new technologies is required.
            Urgent analysis of joint fluid is a common test in patients with possible septic arthritis...
            
         
             
             
            