Necrotizing soft tissue infection caused by Serratia marcescens: A case report and literature review. Issue 5 (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hagiya, Hideharu; Ojima, Masahiro; Yoshida, Takeshi; Matsui, Takahiro; Morii, Eiichi; Sato, Kazuaki; Tahara, Shinichiro; Yoshida, Hisao; Tomono, Kazunori
• Is Part Of: Journal of infection and chemotherapy. Volume 22:Issue 5(2016:May)
• Page Start: 335
• Page End: 338
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Necrotizing soft tissue infection -- Necrotizing fasciitis -- Serratia marcescens -- Sepsis; Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; 615.5805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2015.11.013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1341-321X

Abstract

Abstract: A 64-year-old man with advanced liver cirrhosis was transferred to an emergency center due to septic shock and markedly inflamed left leg. Under a clinical diagnosis of necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI), the patient undertook intensive therapy but died 25 h after arrival. The pathogenic organism, Serratia marcescens, was later isolated from blood and soft tissue cultures. NSTI is very rarely associated with S. marcescens . A literature review showed that only 16 such cases, including our case, have been reported to date. Our case is the first evidence of an S. marcescens NSTI in a patient with liver cirrhosis. S. marcescens NSTI has an extremely high mortality rate; total mortality and mortality in cases involving the extremities were 75% (12 of 16 cases) and 83.3% (10 of 12 cases), respectively. Physicians need to be aware that S. marcescens can induce fatal infections in community patients.