[Pulmonary pasteurellosis in a young patient with multiple trauma]

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Intensive Care Medicine
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Road traffic accidents can lead to severe head and chest trauma.
• Altered consciousness post-trauma often necessitates intensive care and artificial ventilation.
• Nosocomial pneumonia is a significant complication in critically ill patients.

Observation:

• An 18-year-old male developed altered consciousness and required mechanical ventilation after a road traffic accident.
• Five days post-admission, he developed right-sided lower lobe pneumonia.
• Bronchial brushing revealed Gram-negative organisms identified as Pasteurella multocida, sensitive to beta-lactamines.

Findings:

• Pasteurella multocida pneumonia was diagnosed in an otherwise immunocompetent trauma patient.
• The patient responded to Cefotaxime treatment.
• The likely source of infection was presumed to be prior close contact with animals, a known reservoir for P. multocida.

Implications:

• This case underscores the possibility of Pasteurella multocida pneumonia in immunocompetent individuals following trauma, especially with potential animal exposure.
• Early identification and appropriate antibiotic therapy are crucial for managing this rare bacterial pneumonia.
• Further investigation into non-bite wound transmission routes of P. multocida in trauma patients may be warranted.