Pasteurella multocida osteomyelitis following a dog bite

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

Pasteurella multocida is frequently associated with soft tissue infections related to animal bites or scratches. These infections are usually mild but can lead to serious complications especially in high-risk patients. We present a chronic Pasteurella. multocida vertebral osteomyelitis with extensive spondylodiscitis, myositis and epidural abscess in a patient with diabetes and liver cirrhosis. Pasteurella multocida should be suspected in bone and soft tissue infections even if the site of infection is distant to the site of the animal bite, scratch or lick, especially in high-risk patients.

Disseminated Pasteurella multocida infection: Cellulitis, osteomyelitis, and myositis

A 67-year-old man with poorly controlled type II diabetes mellitus was evaluated for right lower extremity erythema and swelling and left-sided lower back pain. He was found to have Pasteurella multocida bacteremia; magnetic resonance imaging showed osteomyelitis of the lumbar spine with myositis in the adjacent left paraspinal muscles. He was initially treated with intravenous antibiotics and was later transitioned to oral amoxicillin. He recovered completely with six weeks of antimicrobial therapy.

Knee Osteochondritis Dissecans Treated by the AO Hook Fixation System: A Four Year Follow-Up of an Alternative Technique

Surgical fixation is recommended for stable osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions that have failed nonoperative management and for all unstable lesions. In this study we set out to describe and evaluate an alternative method of surgical fixation for such lesions. Five knees with unstable OCD lesions in four male adolescent patients with open physes were treated with the AO Hook Fixation System. The outcome was evaluated both clinically and with three separate outcome systems (IKDC 2000, KOOS, Lysholm) at one and a mean four year follow-up. We demonstrated excellent clinical results in all patients. At four years, all scoring systems demonstrated statistically significant improvement when compared to the preoperative status. Our study suggests that the AO Hook Fixation System is an alternative method of surgical intervention with comparable medium term results with other existing modes of fixation and the added biomechanical advantage of the absence of distracting forces during hardware removal.

Bite injuries to the hand: microbiology, virology and management

Bites to the human hand, be it from a pet, a stray animal or even a fellow human, may often have dire consequences for the person suffering the insult. Bites by mammals are a common problem and they account for up to 1% of all visits to hospital emergency rooms, in the UK. Clenched fist injuries to the mouth ('fight bite') are notorious for being the worst human bites. Bite injuries of the hand and their related infections must be monitored vigilantly and managed proactively, by experts in this field of surgery. In this review article we discuss the associated microbiology and virology of these injuries as well as their management.

Bite injuries to the hand - review of the literature

Patients presenting to the emergency department with bite injuries to the hand sustain them through a number of causes including domesticated as well as stray animal bites, and human bites commonly sustained as a result of violence. The nature of the injuries sustained can be very deceptive. A small tooth mark on the exterior can be a fulminant infection in the tissues deeper down. Tendon injuries, fractures of the metacarpals and phalanges and management of the wound are critical issues faced by a surgeon in dealing with such patients. Similarly the less common bite injuries to the hand, often with disastrous and sometimes fatal complications, do also present to the emergency department. A high incidence of suspicion is needed in dealing with these injuries effectively. In our article we discuss the common as well as uncommon causes of bite injuries to the hand and their management. In addition to reviewing the literature to ascertain the management of such injuries, we also discuss interesting and rare case reports.

Pasteurella abscess in tibial regenerate bone: a case report

Although superficial pin tract infections during limb lengthening are extremely common, most settle spontaneously or with antibiotics. In contrast, deep infection around pin tracts leading to osteomyelitis and abscess formation is much less frequently observed and may need washout and curettage. We report a case of a 10-year-old boy who presented with latent abscess formation at a tibial lengthening site because of Pasteurella, a rare bacterial cause of infection usually associated with animals. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of abscess formation within regenerate bone associated with this organism and its late presentation in previously well-healed bone is surprising.

Pasteurella multocida infection of a total knee arthroplasty after a "dog lick"

The patient we report here underwent a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) which got infected with P. multocida after her dog had licked a small wound at the third toe of the same foot. Despite a correct treatment comprising synovectomy and cleansing, and an active antibiotic treatment for 3 months, the patient was readmitted for persistent infection of the same knee 2 weeks after the end of the antibiotic treatment. Sampling during surgery allowed for the growth of a P. multocida isolate proven by a molecular method to be identical to the previously isolated strain. This recurrent P. multocida infection was treated by a two-step change of the TKA comprising a 2-month period of antibiotic treatment between the two surgical interventions.