Streptococcus suis infection in humans occurs due to consuming raw or undercooked pork meat and after contact with pigs. The highest prevalence occurs in Southeast Asian countries, which have the largest pork industry. We report the first case of a 50-year-old healthy male patient from a rural area of São Paulo, Brazil, with septicemia from undercooked pork meat ingestion. The patient was diagnosed at the emergency department with septicemia and multiple organ dysfunctions, including streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Blood cultures yielded the growth of S. suis. The patient was treated with ceftriaxone and was maintained for two weeks, according to sensitivity tests. The outcome was favorable but developed deafness as a sequela. This report aims to give importance to recognizing this disease regarding typical signs and symptoms and occupational and epidemiological history.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is a serious complication of group A Streptococcus infection with a high mortality rate. Rapid detection, early intensive care support, and surgical management are paramount in treating these patients. We present a case of a 65-year-old male, with a documented medical history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and peripheral arterial disease. The patient was evaluated in the emergency department with a chief complaint of pain, swelling in his left leg, and fever. Physical examination showed tachycardia, hypotension, and clear inflammatory signs in the left leg. After initial clinical and laboratory evaluation, the patient was admitted with a diagnosis of cellulitis and urinary tract infection. He presented progressive worsening with multi-organ dysfunction, requiring vasopressor support, invasive mechanical ventilation, and renal replacement therapy. Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated in blood cultures, and a streptococcal toxic shock syndrome was considered. Appropriate antibiotic therapy, immunoglobulins, hemoperfusion, and corticosteroid therapy were administered, with clinical improvement. During hospitalization, there was a progressive improvement in the skin lesion. Once clinically stabilized the patient was discharged with follow-up. The case presented shows the rapid evolution of cutaneous streptococcal infection with multiorgan dysfunction. Although these types of infections have an associated high mortality rate, this patient survived. The use of immunoglobulin and hemoperfusion technique, in this case, might have contributed to this positive outcome. Therefore, we highlight the need for high suspicion of this syndrome, especially in diabetic patients presenting with skin lesions. Once the diagnosis is established, these infections require close surveillance and rapid and intensive treatment.

Sepsis is significantly associated with increased mortality among hospitalized patients. Patients can deteriorate rapidly, leading to septic shock (i.e., tissue hypoperfusion and organ dysfunction despite fluid resuscitation that can ultimately require a vasopressor). Patients immunocompromised from medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis with multiple joint arthroplasties are at a major risk of increased infections. Equally, medications that impair the immune system\'s normal function make this clinical case challenging. As noted in this case of a patient with a complex medical history and nontypical sepsis presentation, early intervention and a multidisciplinary approach to patient care is vital to patient improvement and survival during septic shock.

Dapsone, which is used for treating dermatological conditions, can lead to neutropenia. Especially, resistant neutropenia makes patients vulnerable to invasive infections, indicating a medical emergency. Febrile neutropenia secondary to dapsone intake should be treated promptly before the development of sepsis, which may lead to shock and death. In addition, necrotizing fasciitis is a severe and potentially fatal soft-tissue infection that rarely develops in healthy individuals with skin lesions. In this report, we present a case of a patient with no comorbidities who presented with necrotizing fasciitis and neutropenia with a history of dapsone intake.

Background Abdominal trauma and intra-abdominal sepsis are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Microcirculation in the gut is disrupted in hemorrhagic and septic shock leading to tissue hypoxia, and the damaged gut acts as a reservoir rich in inflammatory mediators and provides a continual source of inflammation to the systemic circulation leading to sepsis. Sepsis is defined as the presence (probable or documented) of infection together with a systemic inflammatory response to infection. Blood culture is commonly considered to be the preferred approach for diagnosing sepsis, although it is time-consuming, that is, reports are normally available only after 12-48 hours. Procalcitonin levels (PCT) have recently emerged as a promising biomarker in the diagnosis of sepsis. The aim of the present study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of PCT levels in predicting sepsis in critically ill trauma patients. Methodology This was designed as a validation study conducted in the Indoor Department of General Surgery, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi. The sample size was calculated by taking the estimated frequency of sepsis in suspected patients at 62.13%, expected sensitivity of PCT at 70.83%, and specificity at 84.21% and the desired precision level of 12% for sensitivity; the calculated sample size was 96. The non-probability consecutive sampling method was used to recruit participants who were diagnosed with sepsis on clinical assessment. Blood culture samples were sent for the enrolled patients and a final diagnosis was made on the blood culture report. PCT levels were measured in these suspected patients on the same day of sending blood culture. Diagnostic accuracy of PCT size was measured using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. ROC curve was formulated for PCT levels against culture-proven sepsis to determine the ideal cut-off value of PCT levels. Two different cut-offs were determined to obtain the highest sensitivity and highest specificity accordingly. Results A total of 97 individuals met the inclusion criteria with a mean age of 34.89 ± 10.52 years. Mean PCT levels were 0.96 ± 0.59, with a gender predilection towards females (p < 0.001). No age difference was documented among gender (p = 0.655). The mean duration of intensive care unit stay was 11.73 ± 3.56 days. Culture-proven sepsis was identified in 67.0% of the study participants with a higher PCT level (p < 0.001). Among the 52.6% males included in the study, half were reported to have culture-positive sepsis, but among the 47.4% females culture was positive in 87% (p < 0.001). ROC revealed PCT was predictive for culture-positive sepsis at a cut-off value 0.47 ng/mL (p < 0.001), with a sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 68.7%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 85.7%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 81.5%. By increasing the cut-off value to 0.90 ng/mL at area under the curve of 0.816, the specificity increased to 81.3% and sensitivity became 66.2%, with a PPV of 87.8% and NPV of 54.2%. Conclusion Our study determined two cut-values for PCT to predict sepsis, one with the highest sensitivity and the other with better specificity. Other than that, higher PCT levels were significant in female trauma patients. We conclude that PCT is a reliable marker for culture-proven diagnosis of sepsis and may aid physicians/surgeons to promptly manage patients accordingly.