Salmonella Surgical Site Infection After Cervical Spine Surgery: A Case Report

A 59-year-old man sustained a fall onto his head and was found to have dense bilateral upper extremity weakness worse than lower extremity and radiographic cervical cord compression. He underwent emergent decompression and presented a few days after discharge with a Salmonella surgical site infection (SSI).

Central cord syndrome is the most common type of incomplete spinal cord injury. Early decompression is associated with the best outcomes. However, infection represents a problematic complication, contributing to overall morbidity. Salmonella can be a very rare contributor to SSI. This is the first report of Salmonella SSI after spine surgery in an immunocompetent patient.