Beware of the dog! Septic shock due to Capnocytophaga canimorsus revealed on peripheral blood smear

Ann Biol Clin (Paris). 2019 Dec 1;77(6):685-686. doi: 10.1684/abc.2019.1508.

Abstract

A blood smear examination led to the diagnosis of severe bacterial infection in a splenectomized patient. The knowledge of a relevant clinical information (recent dog bite) could have led to immediate presumptive identification of the causative agent, Capnocytophaga canimorsus.

Keywords: Capnocytophaga canimorsus; asplenia; dog bite; septic shock; thin blood smear.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteremia / diagnosis
  • Bacteremia / etiology
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Bites and Stings / complications*
  • Bites and Stings / diagnosis
  • Bites and Stings / microbiology
  • Capnocytophaga / isolation & purification*
  • Cytodiagnosis
  • Diagnostic Tests, Routine
  • Dogs*
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / blood
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / diagnosis*
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / etiology
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Hematologic Tests
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Shock, Septic / blood
  • Shock, Septic / diagnosis*
  • Shock, Septic / etiology
  • Shock, Septic / microbiology
  • Splenectomy