title: Diphtheritic septicaemia and probable endocarditis: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Corynebacterium diphtheriae usually produces an infection limited to the respiratory tract and the organisms rarely invade the blood stream. We report the case of a 6-year-old girl who, 2 months after an unsuccessful repair of a ventricular septal defect, developed septicaemia with non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae. The organism appeared resistant to penicillin in vitro and failed to respond to a course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to which it was susceptible in the laboratory. A cure was finally achieved using cephalothin and gentamicin, followed by an additional course of ampicillin and amoxicillin. Twelve previously recorded cases of diphtheritic sepsis and endocarditis are reviewed.
mesh_terms: D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000667:Ampicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002512:Cephalothin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004338:Drug Combinations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D005839:Gentamicins; D000667:Ampicillin; D000658:Amoxicillin; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole; D002512:Cephalothin