Aeromonas wound infection in a healthy boy, and wound healing with polarized light
Bart Rutteman1, Kristien Borremans1, Jan Beckers2
1Department of Pediatrics, AZ Sint Blasius Dendermonde, Dendermonde, Belgium.
Insights
A boy
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Wound Healing
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Brief history taking in emergency departments can lead to misdiagnosis.
- Aeromonas wound infections require specific treatment based on water exposure history.
Observation:
- A healthy boy developed an Aeromonas wound infection after falling into rocks and having contact with ditchwater.
- Initial treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was ineffective.
Findings:
- Culture revealed Aeromonas, prompting treatment with a fluoroquinolone, leading to recovery.
- Polarized light therapy was used as an adjunct treatment, significantly aiding infectious wound healing.
Implications:
- Emphasizes the critical role of thorough patient history in diagnosing and treating wound infections.
- Highlights fluoroquinolones as appropriate treatment for Aeromonas infections.
- Suggests polarized light therapy as a novel and effective adjunct for healing infectious wounds.
Abstract:
Introduction. At emergency departments, history taking is often very brief. We present a case of an Aeromonas wound infection, that illustrates the importance of careful history taking. We also report the first successful use of polarized light as additional therapy for healing of this infectious wound. Case presentation. A healthy boy was diagnosed with a wound infection, after a fall onto rocks. At first, it remained unmentioned that there had been contact with ditchwater, so he was treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. Only after the finding of an Aeromonas strain in the wound culture, and treatment with a fluoroquinolone, did he recover. Wound healing was aided with the use of polarized light, and with good effect. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the effect of polarized light on the healing of infectious wounds. Conclusion. Careful history taking is essential for adequate empiric therapy when faced with wounds and wound infections. Aeromonas infections are associated with water exposure, and should be treated with fluoroquinolones. Polarized light seems to have a good result on healing of infectious wounds.
