Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Directed Evaluation of Elbow Effusion

Abstract

A 53-year-old male presented with pain in the right elbow that was sudden in onset and progressively worsening over approximately eight hours. The pain was exacerbated with any movement of the elbow. Of note, he had been recently admitted for robotic prostatectomy and had a prolonged hospital stay requiring a course of antibiotics. This case report details the emergency department evaluation of septic arthritis of the elbow with a focus on best practices for ultrasound-guided elbow arthrocentesis. [Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2019;3(3):286-288.].