Ernstige handinfectie bij een patiënt met diabetes door een tamme-rattenbeet

Background

Animal bite wounds are common and can cause serious hand infections. Risk factors not only include the oral flora of the animal and the anatomy of the teeth, but also the comorbidities of the bitten patient.

Case description

In this case report we describe a 46-years old female patient with comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus type 2 and peripheral artery disease, suffering a fulminant hand infection after a domestic rat bite with the newly described bacterium Rodentibacter ratti. Despite extensive antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement, a ray amputation was inevitable to maintain adequate hand function.

Conclusion

Infections after animal bites may be caused by a variety of pathogens. The pathogen Rodentibacter ratti has not previously been associated with infections in humans and future research is indicated to assess therapeutic strategies. Patients should be referred to a (plastic) surgeon if there is no clinical improvement within 48 hours of initiating antibiotic treatment.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.