Life-threatening sepsis complicating heavy metal chelation therapy with desferrioxamine

A case of severe Yersinia enterocolitica septicemia in a hemodialysis patient receiving desferrioxamine (DFX) therapy is reported. The association between systemic yersiniosis and DFX chelation therapy is reviewed. The increasing application of DFX chelation, in iron overload states and for aluminium overload in dialysis patients, provides an increasing number of patients at risk for this unusual drug side effect. An awareness of the association between Yersinia sepsis and DFX therapy allows appropriate therapeutic intervention which may prove lifesaving.