title: Life threatening complications from a lower wisdom tooth.
abstract: The case history of a 25-year-old student who developed a number of very serious complications after a simple extraction of a lower wisdom tooth is presented. A submandibular abscess was followed by septic shock with severe thrombocytopenia and transient renal insufficiency, adult respiratory distress syndrome, pneumothorax and pericarditis. From the blood, alpha-hemolytic Streptococci were cultured, while cultures from the abscess grew Bacteroides fragilis. With intensive treatment, including artificial ventilation with PEEP, the patient survived this life-threatening episode.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology*; D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000209:etiology; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000209:etiology*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*