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Clinical aspects of invasive infection with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis in elderly patients

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Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy

Abstract

The number of patients with severe invasive infections (mainly exhibiting bacteremia) with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) has been increasing worldwide. We herein report the clinical aspects of invasive infections (cellulitis, pneumonia, and urosepsis) occurring with SDSE in 13 elderly patients (mean age 84 years, range 69–99 years) diagnosed at a hospital for elderly individuals during the period January 2005–June 2009. Ten subjects had underlying diseases, including neurologic disorders, diabetes mellitus, and others. Eleven patients presented to the hospital emergency department, and the most common symptom was high fever or respiratory distress. Primary care and emergency department doctors treating elderly patients with high fever should keep in mind invasive SDSE infection as a differential diagnosis, especially when an elderly person has underlying illnesses. To detect SDSE in elderly subjects, blood cultures should be obtained before the administration of antimicrobials because, as we found, the patients’ symptoms were limited.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded in part by a grant under the category, ‘‘Research Project for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases’’ (H-19-002), from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (to Dr. K. Ubukata) and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (number 21390306, to Dr. T. Takahashi). The authors thank Akiko Ono, Keisuke Okada, and Miho Yoshino for assistance with the manuscript preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Internal Medicine, Tama-Hokubu Medical Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, 1-7-1 Aoba-cho, Higashi-Murayama, Tokyo, 189-8511, Japan

    Takashi Takahashi

  2. Division of Clinical Laboratory, Tama-Hokubu Medical Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Treatment Corporation, Higashi-Murayama, Tokyo, Japan

    Ryoko Asami, Kanako Tanabe, Yasuo Hirono & Yukiko Nozawa

  3. Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology for Infectious Agents, Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Takahashi, Naoko Chiba & Kimiko Ubukata

Authors
  1. Takashi Takahashi
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  2. Ryoko Asami
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  3. Kanako Tanabe
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  4. Yasuo Hirono
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  5. Yukiko Nozawa
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  6. Naoko Chiba
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  7. Kimiko Ubukata
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takashi Takahashi.

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Takahashi, T., Asami, R., Tanabe, K. et al. Clinical aspects of invasive infection with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis in elderly patients. J Infect Chemother 16, 68–71 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10156-009-0016-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10156-009-0016-1

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