A 19yearold American suffered a serious infection after eating leftover food. The disease led to the amputation of the legs and fingers. The case has been reported New England Journal of Medicine and was echoed in the American press this week.
According to the report, the patient ate leftovers from a colleague’s meal, who would not have finished eating it. Upon ingesting the meal, the young man experienced abdominal pain and vomiting, chest pain, stiff neck, blurred vision, headache, and shortness of breath. He was taken to the hospital by his friend.
In the emergency department, the young man presented with difficulty breathing and a drop in blood oxygen levels, and was treated with medication and oxygen support. From there, the picture became even more complicated. After he was given new medication, he was transferred to another hospital by helicopter.
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Pavan K. Bendapudi, physician on the case, reported that the case progressed rapidly, including SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome), which is characterized by fever, shock, severe lactic acidosis (lack of intracellular oxygenation and accumulation of lactic acid in the bloodstream) and acute respiratory distress and kidney failure.
“Perhaps the most striking feature of this case was the deep coagulation disorder [doença hemorrágica] and rapid onset of disease, with onset lasting less than 24 hours. Other considerations were its young age and the absence of risk factors typically associated with sepsis (e.g., a chronic illness or a coexisting condition),” said Bendapudi.
The tests identified infection by the bacteria N. meningitidis and the diagnosis was purpura fulminans due to meningococcemia. Evolution resulted in tissue necrosis, forcing the amputation of the young man’s legs below the knees as well as his fingers.
According to the MSD Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment, purpura is a condition that causes small blood clots throughout the body that block blood flow to vital organs.
The manual indicates that 10% to 20% of patients who recover have serious consequences, such as irreversible deafness, intellectual disability, or loss of a phalanx or extremity.