Related Experiment Videos
Vertebral osteomyelitis due to Staphylococcus warneri attributed to a Hickman catheter
C S Bryan1, J T Parisi, D G Strike
1Department of Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia.
Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
|September 1, 1987
Summary
A patient developed vertebral osteomyelitis from Staphylococcus warneri, a rare complication of long-term right atrial (Hickman) catheters. Special studies, including plasmid profiling, documented this previously unreported case.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Medical Case Reports
Background:
- Long-term central venous catheters, such as Hickman catheters, are associated with various complications.
- Vertebral osteomyelitis is a serious infection of the spine, often difficult to diagnose.
- Staphylococcus warneri is a coagulase-negative staphylococcal species that can cause opportunistic infections.
Observation:
- A patient with a long-term right atrial (Hickman) catheter presented with symptoms suggestive of vertebral osteomyelitis.
- Diagnostic investigations were initiated to identify the causative pathogen and assess the extent of the infection.
Findings:
- The patient was diagnosed with vertebral osteomyelitis.
- Staphylococcus warneri was identified as the causative agent.
- Plasmid profiling of the Staphylococcus warneri isolates confirmed the source of infection and demonstrated its unique genetic characteristics, aiding in the documentation of this rare event.
Implications:
- This case highlights a previously unreported complication of long-term Hickman catheter use.
- It underscores the importance of considering unusual pathogens like Staphylococcus warneri in catheter-related infections.
- Advanced microbiological techniques, such as plasmid profiling, are crucial for characterizing and documenting rare infectious events.