A Case of Nonclostridial Gas-Producing Soft Tissue Infection in a Neutropenic Leukemia Patient With Literature Review

Gas-producing soft tissue infections have been historically attributed to clostridial species; however, organisms in both the Enterobacteriaceae family as well as certain Gram-positive organisms have also been identified as causative organisms. Soft tissue infections are known to progress with an aggressive course, one that often necessitates urgent surgical debridement, amputation, and a prolonged course of antibiotics. If treatment measures are delayed, the clinical course can progress rapidly leading to life-threatening situations. Patients with significant medical comorbidities, such as those with cancer and its associated immunosuppression due to neutropenia and chemotherapy, are at the highest risk for these life-threatening complications. Here we present a case of a 26-year-old patient with relapsed acute lymphocytic leukemia complicated by neutropenia and a right upper extremity gas-forming infection due to Escherichia coli and discuss the gas-producing soft tissue infections other than Clostridia.
Source: Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Review Articles Source Type: research