Multiorgan Failure and Refractory Lactic Acidosis due toPasteurella multocidaSepticemia in a Patient with No Animal Exposure

Abstract

Introduction Pasteurella multocida is a gram-negative coccobacillus pathogenic to animals. It can cause infection in humans by a bite, scratch, or lick from a cat or dog. P. multocida can cause a variety of infections in humans, including cellulitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, peritonitis, and septic shock. Case Presentation A 56-year-old male presented to our hospital with a 2-day history of fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. He denied exposure to cats, dogs or other pets. He had severe respiratory distress requiring ventilator support, profound septic shock requiring multiple vasopressors, severe lactic acidosis, and renal failure requiring emergent hemodialysis. Blood cultures confirmed the presence of P. multocida. The patient subsequently died of cardiopulmonary arrest due to multiorgan failure with refractory shock. Conclusion P. multocida septicemia can lead to septic shock. Early identification of this organism may decrease mortality. Although our patient had no known cat or dog exposure, physicians should enquire about a history of animal exposure when a patient presents with an infection with no obvious cause.

Peritonitis Secondary to Uncommon Gram-Negative Coccobacillus Transmitted From a Cat in a Patient on Peritoneal Dialysis

“…4 P multocida organisms produce a characteristic mousy odor and grow on blood or chocolate agar at 37°C. 39 Molecular techniques like DNA sequencing and 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction are used for rapid identification and characterization of P multocida with 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction most commonly used at present. 40 Symptoms improve rapidly within 48 to 96 hours after initiation of treatment.…”

Pasteurella multocida vertebral osteomyelitis, myositis and epidural abscess in a diabetic cirrhotic patient

“…Sixty-two cases of osteomyelitis have been reported in the English literature [3,[11], [12], [13], [14],[16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34], [35], [36], [37]]. Of these, 50 cases were related to direct inoculation of the organism or by contiguity.…”