Surgical wound infection, tuboovarian abscess, and sepsis caused by Edwardsiella tarda: case reports and literature review

• Published in: Infection Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 487 - 489
• Main Authors: Golub, V, Kim, A. C, Krol, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Munchen Munchen : Urban and Vogel 01-12-2010; Urban and Vogel; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abdominal Abscess - drug therapy; Abdominal Abscess - etiology; Abdominal Abscess - surgery; Adult; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Biological and medical sciences; Case Report; Edwardsiella tarda; Edwardsiella tarda - physiology; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - complications; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - drug therapy; Family Medicine; Female; General Practice; Humans; Hypoxia; Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine; Literature reviews; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Miscellaneous; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Sepsis; Sepsis - drug therapy; Sepsis - etiology; Surgical Wound Infection - drug therapy; Surgical Wound Infection - etiology; Tuboovarian abscess; Wound infection; Wound infection; Sepsis; Tuboovarian abscess; Enterococcus; Drug; Nosocomial infection; Septicemia; Aerobe; Infection; Streptococcaceae; Sensitivity resistance; Surgery; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Hospital; Bibliography; Hygiene
• ISSN: 0300-8126; 1439-0973
• DOI: 10.1007/s15010-010-0057-5

Edwardsiella tarda is a freshwater pathogen that may cause mild to invasive infections with high mortality in humans. We describe two patients with serious E. tarda infections. The first patient was a woman with a tuboovarian abscess (TOA) and bilateral salpingitis requiring surgical resection and drainage. Her hospital course was complicated by a postoperative wound infection. TOA fluid as well as surgical wound culture revealed pure growth of E. tarda resistant to several antibiotics. The second patient was a man with a bloodstream E. tarda infection and cholangitis who recently traveled to Ecuador. He presented with hypoxia and further workup revealed choledocholithiasis and common bile duct benign polyps. Both patients made a full recovery.