Anaerobic dog bite wound infection.

Abstract

Anaerobes are present in 45 % of dog BWI published in Medline, in about 40 articles, and the additional medical literature reviewed, 1,4–42 approaching the concept of polymicrobial infection for dog BWI. The anaerobic organisms most frequently isolated in these cases were Bacteroides sp, Fusobacterium sp., Peptostreptococcus sp., Prevotella sp., Porphyromonas gingivalis , and C. canimorsus . The latter organism has been mentioned with greater frequency in recent years. The recommended treatment is surgery, debridement, drainage, and cleansing of the wound. Antimicrobial agents of choice are amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and ampicillin/ sulbactam in the majority of cases, however, metronidazole plus ampicillin offers another good choice. Is important to mention that in at least 20 cases, septicemia and sepsis were associated with dog BWI, 4,6–8,10,13,14,18,19,21,22,30,32–34 in most cases due to C. canimorsus . Other important complications are meningitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, peripheral gangrene, renal and multiorgan failure, osteomyelitis, necrotizing cutaneous infection, abscesses, coagulopathy, and Shwartzman reaction. 4–41