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Volume 10, Number 8—August 2004
Synopsis

Vibrio vulnificus in Taiwan

Po-Ren Hsueh*Comments to Author , Ching-Yih Lin†, Hung-Jen Tang†, Hsin-Chun Lee‡, Jien-Wei Liu§, Yung-Ching Liu¶, and Yin-Ching Chuang†Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: *National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; †Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; ‡National Cheng-Kung University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; §Kaohsiung Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; ¶National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan

Main Article

Table

Clinical characteristics of 84 patients with Vibrio vulnificus infections who were treated at five major hospitals, Taiwan, 1995–2000

Characteristic (no. of patients for whom information was available) No. of patients (%)
Sex (n = 84)

Male/female
61 (72.6)/23 (27.4)
Age, mean/range (yr)
60/9-87
Underlying disease (n = 84)a

Chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection
10 (11.9)
Liver cirrhosis
35 (41.7)
Hepatitis B or C virus infection-related
21
Alcoholic
7
Hepatoma
7
Diabetes mellitus
13 (15.5)
Steroid use
10 (11.9)
Alcoholism
8 ( 9.5)
Renal insufficiency
6 (7.1)
Other malignancies
3 (3.6)
None
12 (14.3)
Type of infection (n =84)

Cutaneous infection
57 (67.9)
Cellulitis
15 (17.9)
With bacteremia
5
With septic shock
6
Necrotizing fasciitis
42 (50.0)
With bacteremia
2
With septic shock
32
Primary septicemia
20 (23.8)
With septic shock
3
Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
6 ( 7.1)
Meningitis
1 ( 1.2)
Exposure history (n = 55)

Injury from handling marine animals (fish, crab)
7 (12.7)
Preexisting skin wounds
11 (20.0)
Ingestion of raw seafood
2 ( 3.6)
None
35 (63.6)
Initial antibiotic treatment (n = 82)

A third-generation cephalosporinb plus minocycline
38 (46.3)
A first-generation cephalosporin plus an aminoglycoside
15 (18.3)
Other combinationsc
29 (35.4)
Surgical treatment (cutaneous lesions, n = 57)

Incision and drainage, débridement and/or fasciotomy
43 (75.4)
Amputation
6 (10.5)
Outcome

Survived
57 (67.9)
Died
25 (29.8)
Unknown 2 ( 2.4)

aPatients might have more than two underlying diseases.
bInclude ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and moxalactam.
cInclude a penicillin or a first-generation cephalosporin plus an aminoglycoside or minocycline.

Main Article

Page created: March 03, 2011
Page updated: March 03, 2011
Page reviewed: March 03, 2011
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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