Clostridium novyi infection: a fatal association with injecting drug users.
Injecting drug users frequently use accident and emergency (A&E) departments to access emergency care for local and systemic infections. Clostridium novyi type A is a bacterium that has recently been associated with a number of fatalities among drug injecting addicts. The clinical course is described of a patient who attended an A&E department with septicaemia who was found at postmortem examination to have been infected with Clostridium novyi type A. Doctors working in A&E departments should be aware of the existence of this infection and be vigilant when treating injecting drug users with localised infection.
Ryan
J M
JM
Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, The Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK. ryanj@pavilion.co.uk
Paul
J
J
Curtis
S
S
Patel
N K
NK
D003013:Clostridium / Q000145:classification; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000635:transmission*; D004630:Emergencies; D004739:England; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000635:transmission*; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D013848:Thigh / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries