Atypical fulminant Rickettsia rickettsii infection (Brazilian spotted fever) presenting as septic shock and Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Autor: Costa Paulo Sérgio Gonçalves da, Brigatte Marcos Emilio, Almeida Edmilton Pereira de, Valle Lena Márcia de Carvalho
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2002
Předmět:
Zdroj: Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol 6, Iss 2, Pp 91-96 (2002)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1413-8670
1678-4391
Popis: Brazilian spotted fever, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, has been increasingly reported in Brazil especially in the southeastern states. The severe and fulminant forms of the disease are not unusual but most of the reported fatal cases have shown some typical clinical clue, which leads the attending physician to a correct diagnosis. We report a probable case of atypical fulminant Brazilian spotted fever that presented full-blown septic shock associated with Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and delayed uncharacteristic rash with an over four-fold increase in reciprocal IgM, but not IgG titer against Rickettsia rickettsii. Brazilian practitioners should be aware of the possibility of Brazilian spotted fever as a cause of fulminant primary sepsis with ARDS; improved laboratory methods are necessary for the rapid diagnosis of such cases.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals