Successful use of amoxicillin-clavulanate acid in a patient with severe wound infection with wound communication secondary to Actinomyces

• Published in: Wounds (King of Prussia, Pa.) Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. E88 - e89
• Main Authors: Khalil, Basmah, Hollingshead, Caitlyn, Simman, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-02-2023
• Subjects: Abscess; Actinomyces; Amoxicillin; Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Wound Infection - drug therapy
• ISSN: 1044-7946; 1943-2704
• DOI: 10.25270/wnds/22023

Actinomyces is a common genus of bacteria that is typically found in the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract, as well as on the skin. Gleimia europaea (formerly A europaeus) is a facultative anaerobic gram-positive rod that has been well associated with abscesses of the groin, axilla, and breast, as well as with decubitus ulcer. Infection with this species usually involves multiple abscesses communicating through sinus tracts. Treatment typically requires a prolonged course of penicillin or amoxicillin (up to 12 months).
A 62-year-old male patient presented with a PI with fistulous tract and tunneling infected with Actinomyces, which was successfully treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.
The outcomes in this case support the use of surgical debridement, meticulous wound care, and appropriate antibiotic coverage to achieve accelerated wound healing of sacral PI with actinomycotic involvement.