Krzysztof Madej, Hanna Tomczak and Marek Karczewski
Objective: A 50-year-old immunocompetent patient was hospitalized following an episode of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Piperacillin/tazobactam was administered empirically. Despite continuous IV , on the 20th day of treatment the patient required urgent laparotomy. A swab sample was collected and subsequent Vancomycin with Amikacin administered empirically. Design: Despite administration of intensive treatment, general clinical condition of the patient deteriorated. The question was, why we experienced ineffectiveness of conservative treatment, as well as of subsequent surgical procedures? Was the microbiological specimen taken incorrectly? Why was it difficult to identify bacteria constituting the etiological infection source? Results: What is emphasized in our article is the significance of proper collection of a specimen and gathering an appropriate clinical history. What also needs to be taken into account in severe acute pancreatitis is perhaps allowing for longer bacterial culture growth. Conclusion: In this case, the infection was caused by a past injury with the previously undiagnosed etiological factor, i.e. Nocardia spp., challenging both current diagnosis and treatment, which ultimately resulted in severe necrotizing pancreatitis. This indicates the importance of a microbiologist for diagnosis and treatment.
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