Pericardial tamponade caused by Pasteurella multocida infection after a cat bite

Abstract

An unusual case of meningitis and pericardial tamponade caused by Pasteurella multocida after a cat bite is reported. The patient was successfully treated by antibiotics and pericardiocentesis and made an uneventful recovery from a life threatening condition. This case illustrates the potential dangers that can arise from a seemingly trivial and commonplace injury.

Animal bites

“…3 Pericardial tamponade and meningoencephalitis developed in a patient that had Pasteurella multocida-associated septicemia as a result of a cat bite; that patient was successfully treated with pericardiocentesis, administration of antimicrobials, and appropriate medical management. 2 Pasteurella multocida was also responsible for meningitis and septic arthritis in a 78-year-old with multiple myeloma who had been bitten by a cat. 69 Microorganisms-Early work suggested microbes recovered from a bite wound abscess would be representative of the oral flora from the biting animal.…”

“…Since publication of the previous report 1 on this topic for this series in 1988, much has been researched and reported regarding animal bites among populations of humans. The intent of this article was not to exhaustively review all literature published since 1988, but to focus on aspects of animal bites (dog and cat bites in particular) that were novel or noteworthy with respect to previously unrecognized injuries or cause of death [2][3][4][5][6][7] or bite-wound pathogens, [8][9][10] the role of individual organisms in polymicrobial infections, 11 risk factors for infection of a bite, 12 and controversies in medical or surgical management of bite injuries (eg, wound closure and antimicrobial prophylaxis). 13,14 Therefore, reports describing new empiric data and prospective studies were given attention, rather than new compilations of previously reported material.…”