Purpura fulminans and severe sepsis due toPasteurella multocidainfection in an immunocompetent patient

Abstract

A 75-year-old woman was admitted into the intensive care unit, with severe sepsis and renal failure. She developed purpura fulminans (PF) of bilateral upper and lower extremities along with gangrene on the tips of her fingers and toes. Blood cultures confirmed Pasteurella multocida as the causative organism. Despite aggressive supportive measures, the patient remained dependent on high doses of vasopressors and the gangrene progressed. She ultimately succumbed to her underlying severe sepsis. PF is a rare and fatal dermatological emergency commonly seen in children, but it also occurs in adults. Acute infectious PF occurs secondary to severe sepsis and P. multocida is a rare cause of PF. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of PF due to P. multocida in an adult.

Acute Infectious Purpura Fulminans Caused by <i>Klebsiella oxytoca</i>

“…Despite intensive care, she ultimately succumbed to sepsis with progressive gangrene. AIPF characterized by an abrupt onset of cutaneous hemorrhaging and disseminated intravascular coagulation is a fatal dermatological emergency seen in children or immunocompromised adults (1). In Japan, the common pathogens causing AIPF are Streptococcus pneumonia and Neisseria meningitides (2).…”