[Near-drowning associated Aeromonas pneumonia]. / Pneumopathie à Aeromonas liée aux noyades.

INTRODUCTION: Aeromonas pneumonia associated with near-drowning, though uncommon, is serious and a major morbidity factor for patients. CLINICAL CASE: A healthy 30-year-old man nearly drowned in a pound. He was admitted to the medical intensive care unit and required intubation and mechanical ventilation. He was given antibiotic therapy in the form of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. After a brief stable period post immersion, he rapidly developed fever and respiratory failure. The thoracic scan revealed bilateral alveolar infiltrates and led to a fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Aeromonas veroniiandPseudomonas aeruginosa were found on culture of the bronchial aspirate. A change of antibiotic therapy appropriate to these bacteria led to clinical improvement and allowed complete withdrawal of ventilation. CONCLUSION: Rapid respiratory deterioration following near-drowning should raise the suspicion of pulmonary infection with the bacteria usually found in the respiratory tract during ventilation but without overlooking the possibility of unusual organisms, particularly Aeromonas.It is usuallysensitive to third generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Ideally, Aeromonas should be sought in pulmonary aspirates and samples of the water where immersion occurred.

Near-drowning-associated pneumonia with bacteremia caused by coinfection with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Edwardsiella tarda in a healthy white man: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Edwardsiella tarda is an Enterobacteriaceae found in aquatic environments. Extraintestinal infections caused by Edwardsiella tarda in humans are rare and occur in the presence of some risk factors. As far as we know, this is the first case of near-drowning-associated pneumonia with bacteremia caused by coinfection with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Edwardsiella tarda in a healthy patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old previously healthy white man had an episode of fresh water drowning after acute alcohol consumption. Edwardsiella tarda and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus were isolated in both tracheal aspirate cultures and blood cultures. CONCLUSION: This case shows that Edwardsiella tarda is an important pathogen in near drowning even in healthy individuals, and not only in the presence of risk factors, as previously known.

[Post nearly Drowning Vibrio alginolyticus Septicemia Acquired in Reunion (Indian Ocean)]. / Septicémie à Vibrio alginolyticus au décours d'une presque noyade à La Réunion (océan Indien).

AbstractWe report the first case of Vibrio alginolyticus septicemia in the Indian Ocean (Reunion Island), in a patient (70-year-old-man) with multiple underlying conditions, following a nearly drowning in the lagoon of Reunion. From now on, V. alginolyticus should be considered as a possible agent of septicemia in the Indian Ocean, particularly following marine activities.

Identifying the emerging human pathogen Scedosporium prolificans by using a species-specific monoclonal antibody that binds to the melanin biosynthetic enzyme tetrahydroxynaphthalene reductase.

The dematiaceous (melanized) fungus Scedosporium prolificans is an emerging and frequently fatal pathogen of immunocompromised humans and which, along with the closely related fungi Pseudallescheria boydii, Scedosporium apiospermum and S. aurantiacum in the Pseudallescheria-Scedosporium complex, is a contributing aetiology to tsunami lung and central nervous system infections in near-drowning victims who have aspirated water laden with spores. At present, the natural habitat of the fungus is largely unknown, and accurate detection methods are needed to identify environmental reservoirs of infectious propagules. In this study, we report the development of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) (CA4) specific to S. prolificans, which does not cross-react with closely related fungi in the Pseudallescheria-Scedosporium complex or with a wide range of mould and yeast species pathogenic to humans. Using genome sequencing of a soil isolate and targeted gene disruption of the CA4 antigen-encoding gene, we show that mAb CA4 binds to the melanin-biosynthetic enzyme tetrahydroxynaphthalene reductase. Enzyme-deficient mutants produce orange-brown or green-brown spore suspensions compared with the black spore suspension of the wild-type strain. Using mAb CA4 and a mAb (HG12) specific to the related fungi P. boydii, P. apiosperma, S. apiospermum and S. aurantiacum, we demonstrate how the mAbs can be used in combination with a semiselective isolation procedure to track these opportunistic pathogens in environmental samples containing mixed populations of human pathogenic fungi. Specificity of mAb CA4 was confirmed by sequencing of the internally transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1)-5.8S-ITS2 rRNA-encoding regions of fungi isolated from estuarine muds.

[Near-drowning and cerebral infections caused by fungi belonging to the Pseudallescheria / Scedosporium-complex]. / Scedosporiosen nach Beinahe-Ertrinkungsunfällen - Gehirninfektionen durch Pilze des Pseudallescheria / Scedosporium-Komplexes.

Brain infections caused by fungi of the Pseudallescheria / Scedosporium-complex weeks or months after a near drowning event should be considered, since mortality rate is high and specific diagnostic methods are necessary for fungal detection. Voriconazole is the only authorised antimycotic drug available for the treatment of these infections in Germany, but other antimycotics may also be indicated for alternate or combined treatment strategies. Consultation of a specific reference laboratory is recommended in comparable relevant cases.

Respiratory complication of tsunami diaster victims in Vachira Phuket Hospital.

There were 958 patients who suffered from the tsunami diaster on 26 December 2004, and came to Vachira Phuket Hospital. 326 cases were admitted with severe respiratory complications. 42 cases had sputum culture, and 20 of them grew gram negative microorganism. The authors present 3 cases.

Disseminated aspergillosis after near-drowning.

We report a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis after near-drowning complicated by systemic disseminated disease to the heart, kidneys, left adrenal gland and brain. Detection of fungal micro-organisms in the sputum of near-drowning patients should be taken seriously.