title: Comparison of skin and soft tissue infections caused by Vibrio and Aeromonas species.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to compare skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) caused by Vibrio and Aeromonas spp.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients whose cultures yielded Vibrio or Aeromonas spp. from July 2004 to June 2010 were retrieved from the computerized database of the bacteriology laboratory at a hospital in southern Taiwan. The medical records were reviewed for all patients fulfilling the criteria of monomicrobial Vibrio or Aeromonas spp. SSTIs and the clinical characteristics were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, there were 28 patients with Vibrio spp. and 26 patients with Aeromonas spp., respectively. Vibrio vulnificus (n=25) and A. hydrophila (n=14) were the most common spp. There were no significant differences in age, gender, underlying diseases between patients with Vibrio and Aeromonas SSTIs. In comparison to Aeromonas SSTIs, more patients with Vibrio SSTIs were complicated with acute respiratory failure (39.3% vs. 3.8%, p=0.002) and required intensive care unit admission (50.0% vs. 7.7%, p<0.001). Furthermore, patients with Aeromonas SSTIs had a higher likelihood of discharge alone within 30 days than Vibrio SSTIs (p=0.049). The difference in in-hospital mortality among the two groups was not statistically significant (p=0.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both Aeromonas and Vibrio spp. cause SSTIs in southern Taiwan and the pathogenicity of Vibrio spp. might be higher than Aeromonas spp.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center , Liouying, Tainan, Taiwan .
authors.forename: Chien-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Chih-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Shih-Horng
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Sheng-Hsiang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000333:Aeromonas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014733:Vibrio / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents