A rare case of multi‐drug resistant Raoultella ornithinolytica‐induced sepsis in a healthy young man in Uganda

Abstract

Key Clinical MessageAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a public health challenge. It causes unresponsiveness to treatment with antimicrobials, leads to sepsis, septic shock, and increased hospital mortality. This is compounded by new multidrug resistant organisms. We present and discuss a case of sepsis caused by a rare multi‐drug resistant bacterium Raoultella ornithinolytica.AbstractAntimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern worldwide, associated with nearly 5 million deaths. The highest mortality attributed to AMR is seen in sub‐Saharan Africa. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa contribute to most deaths attributed to AMR globally. However, other uncommon microorganisms have been implicated. Few cases of resistant, extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase (ESBL) producing Raoultella ornithinolytica have been reported to cause sepsis worldwide. To our knowledge, no case of R. ornithinolytica‐induced sepsis has been reported in our settings. We report a case of sepsis due to R. ornithinolytica in an injured young adult. We received a 36‐year‐old man, a professional banker involved in a road traffic accident 2 h before admission. He sustained a deep degloving wound on the right ankle with exposure of the lateral malleolus and presented with severe pain, and bleeding at the injury site. x‐Rays confirmed a comminuted intra‐articular distal tibia and fibular fracture. Surgical debridement and external fixation were aseptically done on the same day. Below knee amputation was done on the 7th day post‐admission due to extensively injured and infected limb with sepsis. Local pus culture isolated ESBL‐positive R. ornithinolytica susceptible only to meropenem, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin. Introducing these antibiotics on the 11th post‐admission day averted sepsis and enhanced patient recovery. With the threat of AMR, newly emerging highly resistant microbes should be expected and suspected. Early recognition of sepsis and its focus and precise intervention with antimicrobials guided by specimen culture and susceptibility profile is highly recommended and should be standard practice. It highly reduces morbidity and mortality due to sepsis.