Surprising Face of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Septicaemia

Report:

Sinus rhythm 90/min

Acute anterolateral infarction

Comment:

The patient had a clinically obvious septic shock. The organism was Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a rare cause of systemic sepsis (dogs’ teeth being cleaner than human) distinguished by its tendency to mime myocardial infarction on ECGs. Troponin level was over 100 µ/L.

Although it was recognised by the ICU staff for what it was, an outside consultant Cardiologist did an angiogram after the patient recovered (that’s what type A Cardiologists do). Unsurprisingly, it showed normal ventricle and normal coronary tree; on the plus side, it helped us with the case report43.

The ECG almost completely normalised within 6 hours (below, Fig 55a).

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