---
title: A 57-year-old man presents with a swollen right knee
description: It's Swollen Knee Quiz Time with Med-Challenger!
---

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# [A 57-year-old man presents with a swollen right knee](https://challengercme.com/blog/a-57-year-old-man-presents-with-a-swollen-right-knee)

 Written by [Med-Challenger](https://challengercme.com/blog/author/med-challenger) | Dec 17, 2025 5:39:05 PM

A 57-year-old man presents with a swollen right knee. He has a history of arthritis and has noted pain and swelling of this knee for a few days. The swelling worsened and he noticed that the knee felt hot. He has some mild nausea.

On today's visit, his temperature is 103.3 °F (39.6 °C) and his white blood cell count is normal. The knee is warm, slightly swollen, and erythematous. Aspiration of the knee joint was performed, but only a few drops of fluid were obtained.

What is the most appropriate next step?

- Delay antibiotic coverage until more fluid is obtained.
- Discard the sample because the scant amount will have a low yield.
- Reattempt the joint aspiration.
- Test the fluid for bacterial cultures.

 

This question appears in [Med-Challenger Family Medicine Exam Review with CME](https://challengercme.com/family-medicine-exam-review-cme-course)

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