Shewanella infection of snake bites: a twelve-year retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Infections of snake bite wounds by Shewanella are rarely discussed in the medical literature. This study aims to characterize the presentation and management of Shewanella infections in snake bite wounds.


METHODS
We retrospectively investigated the microbiology, clinical features, and outcomes of patients with Shewanella infected snake bite wounds admitted to a tertiary medical center from January 1998 to December 2009.


RESULTS
Ten patients with Shewanella-infected snake bite wounds were identified. All of the snake bites were caused by cobras. The majority of patients had moderate to severe local envenomation and polymicrobial infections. Shewanella isolates are susceptible to ampicillin-sulbactam, piperacillin-tazobactam, third-and fourth-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and quinolones but are resistant to penicillin and cefazolin. All of the patients examined had favorable outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
It is recommended that Shewanella infection be considered in snake bite patients, especially when patients present with moderate to severe local envenomation.
Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Taichung, Taiwan.
Po-Yu
PY
Liu
Zhi-Yuan
ZY
Shi
Chin-Fu
CF
Lin
Jin-An
JA
Huang
Jai-Wen
JW
Liu
Kun-Wei
KW
Chan
Kwong-Chung
KC
Tung
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017815:Elapidae; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020592:Shewanella; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000382:microbiology*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents