[Community-acquired pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pyogenes: report of one case].
During the past two decades there has been a resurgence of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infection, specially pneumonia and bacteremia. We report a 35 year-old female previously subjected to a thyroidectomy for a thyroid cancer, that five days after operation, presented with a severe community-acquired pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (Lancefield Group A Streptococcus) that was complicated by acute respiratory failure and septic shock. She was treated with a combination of 3 g/day of cefotaxime and 1.8 g/day of clindamycin with a good clinical response and discharged from the hospital in good conditions. Although this microorganism is an uncommon cause of community-acquired pneumonia, previously healthy individuals may be infected and the clinical course may be fulminant. Patients with invasive GAS infection admitted to ICU have a high mortality rate. Treatment of choice of Group A streptococcal infection is penicillin. However, clindamycin should be added in severe infections .
Departamento de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. fsaldias@med.puc.cl
Fernando
F
Saldías
Jorge
J
Yáñez
Velia
V
Saldías
Orlando
O
Díaz
D000328:Adult; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*