We report a rapidly fatal Bacillus cereus septicemia in a leukemic patient receiving remission-induction therapy. Symptoms resembling food poisoning and fever preceded coma accompanied by neurologic abnormalities. Autopsy revealed necrotizing leptomeningitis with subarachnoid hemorrhage and coagulation necrosis of the liver with bacterial infiltration. These clinicopathologic findings were clos...

Septicemia is a growing problem within the United States (US), which increases mortality and the cost of care. Procalcitonin is a pro-inflammatory marker that could be useful in the diagnosis of infection. In the past, procalcitonin levels have been evaluated to diagnose sepsis or guide antibiotic therapy, but it was not determined if it would differentiate between sepsis and other causes of in...

Diverticulitis primarily affects the sigmoid colon and is often complicated by intra-abdominal abscesses and fistulas. Rarely, however, mesenteric venous thrombosis has been known to occur. Optimal management is still unclear. We report the first case of polymicrobial sepsis resulting from diverticular pylephlebitis, managed successfully with bowel rest, antibiotics, and anticoagulation.

1. Rabbits are very susceptible to infection by inhalation of Type I pneumococci. 2. When rabbits are exposed to a pneumococcus spray the bacteria readily penetrate into the lower respiratory tract. The pneumococci which reach the periphery of the lungs as a result of this procedure usually disappear within a few hours but a generalized and fatal septicemia frequently later appears. Pneumococci...

In this case report, we describe the first instance of septicemia caused by an obligately anaerobic Staphylococcus aureus in a human. A 45-year-old man presented with septicemia, septic arthritis, and multiple pulmonary abscesses, which were caused by an obligately anaerobic S. aureus. The clinical and microbiological features that led to the diagnosis are discussed. Genotyping cannot at presen...

Septicemia of Vibrio spp. such as non-O1 Vibrio cholerae presented with diarrhea, fasciitis, cellulitis or otitis media are common in cirrhotic patients (Lin, C.-J., Chiu, C.-T., Lin, D.-Y., et al., Am. J. Gastroenterol., 91, 336-340, 1996). It may result from a lower C3/C4 level, a lower serum ferritin level or opsonophagocytosis dysfunction. High mortality in such cases has been noted. Howeve...