LAUSR

non- septic bursitis based on the aspirate. The remaining patient under went an expedited outpatient bursal aspiration (cultures grew MSSA) as directed by orthopedics and was hospitalized for IV antibiotics. There were no antibiotic complications in this subgroup of patients. Five pa tients in this group underwent arthrocentesis, 4 had septic arthritis ruled out and 1 had an inconclusive result without further intervention. This study describes the management and outcomes of 157 pa tients who presented with prepatellar bursitis. Of these patients, only 6 (4%) patients underwent a bursal aspiration at the time of their ini tial ED visit and only 1 (0.6%) underwent a subsequent bursectomy. Among patients who did not undergo bursal aspiration in the ED, 88% of admitted patients treated with empiric antibiotics and 88% of pa tients dismissed from the ED on empiric outpatient antibiotics had an uncomplicated resolution of their bursitis. Four patients (2.5%) experi enced antibiotic complications, including 2 cases of Clostridioides difficile colitis and 2 allergic reactions. Ten percent of patients underwent arthrocentesis to assess for septic arthritis and 2 cases of concomitant septic arthritis were identified. Although limited primarily by the ret rospective study design and the inability to definitively confirm septic versus non- septic bursitis in the absence of aspiration, these findings are largely consistent with our findings recently published for ED pa tients with olecranon bursitis 10 and suggest that empiric antibiotic therapy may also be a reasonable initial approach to management of suspected prepatellar septic bursitis in a substantial proportion of pa tients when close outpatient follow up can be ensured. However, the risks and benefits of empiric antibiotics, including the development of antibiotic resistance, must be carefully considered as well as the potential for concomitant septic arthritis.