Gas gangrene secondary to Clostridium perfringens in pediatric oncology patients.
OBJECTIVE
To report 2 cases of severe gas gangrene secondary to Clostridium perfringens in pediatric oncology patients.


METHODS
We describe 2 children with acute presentations of gas gangrene secondary to C. perfringens. Both children were initially seen and treated in a community hospital emergency department and subsequently were cared for in a pediatric intensive care unit in a tertiary care, university-based children's hospital.


RESULTS
Both children demonstrated severe and unrelenting decompensation and required operative intervention within the first hospital day, which included amputation of the infected limb. One child survived and one child expired despite heroic measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Gas gangrene secondary to C. perfringens is an uncommon but life-threatening and limb-threatening condition in pediatric cancer patients. A high index of suspicion in a immunocompromised child with cancer who presents with extremity pain in combination with neutropenia is the key to early diagnosis and may lead to improved survival. This disease requires prompt recognition and aggressive treatment to allow any hope of recovery. Emergency medicine physicians who treat these children should be aware of this severe and potentially fatal infectious process and should not delay treatment or prompt orthopedic surgery consultation.
Temple
Ana-Maria M
AM
Department of Pediatrics, Penn State Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Thomas
Neal J
NJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005738:Gas Gangrene / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007866:Leg / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000209:etiology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents