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Abstract:
An 8-year-old male suffered multiple trauma in a motor vehicle accident. He has been in intensive care and has multiple intravascular catheters and an indwelling Foley catheter. He has received 6 days of a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic. On day 7, he develops a spiking temperature but no other evidence of infection. However, both of the two blood cultures and a urine culture grow out enterococcus.
Insights
A pediatric patient with multiple trauma developed a fever after antibiotic treatment. Blood and urine cultures identified enterococcus, indicating a potential hospital-acquired infection in critically ill children.
Area of Science:
- Critical care medicine
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Trauma surgery
Background:
- Critically ill pediatric patients often require invasive devices, increasing infection risk.
- Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of severe trauma in children.
- Prolonged antibiotic use can lead to the emergence of resistant bacterial strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of enterococcus infection in a pediatric trauma patient.
- To highlight the importance of vigilant infection surveillance in intensive care settings.
- To discuss potential sources and management of enterococcus in immunocompromised pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Case report of an 8-year-old male with multiple trauma.
- Review of clinical course, including intensive care management and antibiotic therapy.
- Microbiological analysis of blood and urine cultures.
Main Results:
- The patient developed a fever on day 7 of third-generation cephalosporin therapy.
- Blood and urine cultures were positive for enterococcus.
- No other definitive source of infection was identified.
Conclusions:
- Enterococcus can cause infections in pediatric trauma patients, even after broad-spectrum antibiotic prophylaxis.
- Fever in a critically ill patient with invasive lines warrants thorough investigation for bacterial pathogens.
- Early identification and appropriate antimicrobial therapy are crucial for managing enterococcus infections in this population.