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Clostridium perfringens
Etiology:
- penetrating trauma or ischemic bowel
Pathology:
- intra-abdominal infection
- sepsis
- intravascular hemolysis
- exotoxin phospholipase C lecithinase cleaves phospholipids in the erythrocyte membrane
- hepatic abscess (rare)
- myonecrosis, necrotizing infection of muscle & soft tissue, usually involves a limb
Laboratory:
- gram stain: gram positive rods
- Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin in tissue/body fluid
- Clostridium perfringens serology
- Clostridium perfringens genotyping
- Clostridium perfringens toxin gene
- Clostridium perfringens culture
Differential diagnosis:
- bartonellosis, malaria, babesiosis
Management:
- penicillin + clindamycin
General
Clostridium
Properties
KINGDOM: monera
DIVISION: SCHIZOMYCETES
References
- Rothaus C
Overcoming the Barrier.
NEJM REsident 360. Dec 5, 2018
https://resident360.nejm.org/content_items/overcoming-the-barrier/