Capnocytophaga canimorsus bacteraemia demonstrated by a positive blood smear. A case report.
The observation of bacteria in a peripheral blood smear was conducive to the diagnosis of Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicaemia in a patient with no definite record of animal bites. Multiple rods were seen extracellularly and within the cytoplasm of neutrophils. The blood culture became positive after 18 h of incubation. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was manifest and infarction of the spleen was suspected. Direct examination of peripheral blood smears could be a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis of overwhelming bacteraemia.
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Aalborg Hospital, Denmark.
G
G
Pedersen
H C
HC
Schønheyder
L C
LC
Nielsen
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D002206:Capnocytophaga / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology