Clinical recommendation	Evidence rating	Comments
Before initiating antibiotic therapy in patients with suspected septic arthritis, analysis of synovial fluid obtained through arthrocentesis should be performed, including Gram stain, cultures, white blood cell count with differential, and crystal analysis.4	C	Expert opinion and consensus guideline in the absence of clinical trials
Initial empiric antibiotic therapy for adults with septic arthritis should cover Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species.4	C	Expert opinion and consensus guideline in the absence of clinical trials
Oral antibiotics are not inferior to intravenous antibiotics for treatment of septic arthritis.25	B	Large cohort study evaluating six weeks of therapy that was started within one week of surgery and/or treatment with intravenous antibiotics
Septic arthritis caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus should be treated with drainage or debridement and 14 days of intravenous antibiotics followed by oral antibiotics, totaling three to four weeks of therapy.7	C	Expert opinion and consensus guideline in the absence of clinical trials
In patients with joint replacements, prophylactic antibiotics are not recommended to prevent joint infection for routine outpatient dental, urologic, or gastrointestinal procedures.46–48	C	Expert opinion and consensus guideline; systematic reviews for dental and gastrointestinal procedures