Abstract
We report a case of septic shock due to Pasteurella multocida following a minor cat scratch. It is rare for local infection due to Pasteurella multocida to progress to systemic inflammation. A 68-year-old man with shock after blunt trauma was transported to our emergency room by ambulance. His inflammatory reaction was high, and his general condition suggested septic shock. He showed mild swelling and redness of the left elbow, left forearm, and left chest. He had sustained a cat scratch on left forearm 11 days earlier and had a chest blow trace. We cut the erythematous portion open but found no evidence of gangrenous fasciitis. However, Pasteurella multocida was identified by culture of a decoction and blood. We started antibiotics, but disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) appeared on the second ICU day. The DIC initially improved with treatment, but respiratory status did not. Super-infection spread to the lung, and the patient died on the 24th ICU day.
