CASE OF DISSEMINATED STAPHYLOCOCCAL INFECTION

Staphylococcus aureus is the most virulent of the many staphylococcal species and remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite the availability of numerous effective antistaphylococcal antibiotics. It is a pleuripotent pathogen causing disease through both toxin mediated and non toxin mediated mechanisms. The organism is responsible for infections that range from minor skin and soft tissue infections to life threatening systemic infections.Sepsis is suspected in a patient who presents with fever or hypothermia, leucocytosis or leucopenia, tachypnoea and tachycardia with a suspected or proven microbial etiology. Of the former four features, if two or more are present, then it suggests Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS).Here we present a case report of an adolescent male who presented to us with features of this Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). In addition, patient was found to have polyarthritis, pleuropulmonary, cutaneous and cardiac involvement. Laboratory studies helped to clinch the Staphylococcal etiology responsible for this florid presentation. With prompt recognition and appropriate intensive medical management patient was revived from this fatal infection in about a period of three weeks and discharged with complete recovery