[Massive intravascular hemolysis secondary to sepsis due to Clostridium perfringens]

Hepatic abscess-associated Clostridial bacteraemia presenting with intravascular haemolysis and severe hypertension

Clostridium perfringens bacteraemia is a potentially fatal condition, and its early identification is paramount to maximise chances of survival. Prompt recognition of intravascular haemolysis, a known complication of C. perfringens bacteraemia, can help guide clinical decision-making before microbiology data becomes available. We present a novel finding of severe hypertension in a fatal case of Clostridial bacteraemia with massive haemolysis. A 58-year-old man with no known medical history presented to the emergency department with malaise, fever and hypertension. He developed abdominal pain and a hepatic abscess was identified on CT imaging. Within 4 h of presentation, he developed massive intravascular haemolysis, extreme hypertension, pulmonary oedema and respiratory failure. He died less than 8 h after presentation. His blood cultures subsequently grew C. perfringens. This case underscores the importance of early recognition of intravascular haemolysis complicating C. perfringens bacteraemia, and discusses the rare complication of hypertensive emergency in this setting.

Massive intravascular hemolysis from Clostridium perfringens septicemia: a review

We describe the case of a patient with hemolysis-associated Clostridium perfringens septicemia and review all similar cases published in the literature since 1990, with specific focus on the relationship between treatment strategy and survival. We searched PubMed for all published cases of C. perfringens-associated hemolysis, using the medical subject terms "clostridia," "clostridial sepsis," and/or "hemolysis." All case reports, case series, review articles, and other relevant references published in the English literature since 1990 were included in this study. There were no exclusion criteria. Each case was examined with respect to presenting features of illness, antibiotic regimen, time-to-antibiotic therapy, additional interventions, complications, and patient survival. These variables were entered into a data set and then systematically analyzed with the aid of a statistician, using serial t tests and chi-square analyses. Since 1990, 50 patients of C. perfringens septicemia with hemolysis have been reported. Median age was 61 years (range 31-84), and 58% were male. Mortality was 74%, with a median time to death of 9.7 hours (range 0-96 hours). Of the patients, 35 (70%) were treated medically, while 15 (30%) received antibiotics and surgery. Surgical intervention was associated with significantly improved survival (risk ratio [RR] 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10, 0.53) as was the use of a combination of penicillin and clindamycin (RR of death 0.46, 95% CI 0.25, 0.83). Four patients utilizing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) have been reported, and all patients survived. In cases of clostridial sepsis with hemolysis, strong predictors of survival include early initiation of appropriate antibiotics as well as surgical removal of infected foci. The HBOT may also be associated with survival. The disease often progresses rapidly to death, so rapid recognition is critical for the patient survival.

[Doses of anti-infectives for systemic use are scarcely notified in clinical cases reported to the Revista Española de Anestesiología y Reanimación]

OBJECTIVE

To describe the frequency of dose notification of antiinfectives for systemic use in clinical cases published in Revista Española de Anestesiología y Reanimación.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Review of individualized clinical cases published in the sections «Clinical case» or «Letter to the Editor» of the above mentioned journal from year 2010 to 2012, and identification of the drugs and their therapeutic regimens cited in such publications, being dose notification the main variable. Drugs have been classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System.

RESULTS

One thousand one hundred and thirty-five drugs cited 1,317 times were identified in 167 articles describing the clinical pictures of 182 patients, 73 of the citations (5.6%) regarding to drugs belonging to group J (Antiinfectives for systemic use) which were divided into perioperative prophylaxis (n=15) and active treatment (n=58). Doses were scarcely notified for group J drugs as a whole (27.4%), but especially for active treatment (17.2%) compared to perioperative prophylaxis (66.7%), percentage which was similar to those more classical anesthetic drugs (fentanyl: 86.6%; remifentanil: 70.5%; sevoflurane: 78%; propofol: 79%; rocuronium:79.6%; cisatracurium: 68.4%) or even for antiemetics (ondansetron: 92.3%; dexamethasone: 84.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

Quality of case reports could be improved by including dose notification for antiinfective agents.