Septic discitis and septic pulmonary emboli: rare complications of Proteus mirabilis urinary tract infection

Abstract

Proteus mirabilis is a gram-negative bacterium frequently considered a pathogen of the urinary tract. Septic discitis and septic pulmonary emboli resulting from P. mirabilis urosepsis is a rare phenomenon. We report a 39-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital with a complicated urinary tract infection resulting in bacteraemia, septic discitis, paraspinal abscesses and septic emboli. She was treated with a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics resulting in the clinical resolution of her symptoms. Based on our PubMed search of the English literature, this is only the second reported case of septic discitis caused by P. mirabilis. This paper illustrates that physicians should include septic discitis caused by P. mirabilis as a possible aetiology of low back pain in patients with active or recently treated urinary tract infection. Additionally, this article discusses the pathogenesis and other complications resulting from P. mirabilis bacteraemia.