title: Erythromycin failure with subsequent Pasteurella multocida meningitis and septic arthritis in a cat-bite victim.
abstract: We report the case of a 75-year-old woman who developed Pasteurella multocida meningitis and septic arthritis while being treated for a cat-bite wound infection with erythromycin. Review of the literature revealed that erythromycin has poor in vitro activity against this bacterium and has been associated with serious clinical failures. We recommend that erythromycin not be prescribed for empiric therapy of established animal-bite infections. Suggestions for optimal empiric therapy of animal-bite infections and the differential diagnosis of severe cat-bite-associated sepsis are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Olive View/UCLA Medical Center, Sylmar 91342.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Talan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002415:Cats; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008581:Meningitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D004917:Erythromycin