An unusual infection in a patient with peripherally inserted central catheter

A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is widely used in transfusion therapy and for monitoring many kinds of diseases, especially in critically ill patients. Compared with other catheters, it has a lower risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections. Aeromonas Hydrophila (AH) is a kind of opportunistic pathogen, vibrionaceae aeromonas, and gram-negative brevibacterium, widely distributed in nature, in all kinds of body fluid. It usually causes gastrointestinal infections, and rarely causes Aeromonas septicemia. To date, there has been no report of a PICC-related AH infection. We report the case of a 40-year-old female with breast cancer, who suffered post-op. severe sepsis and double lower limb cellulitis with multiple organ failure. All of this was due to AH invading the blood through the PICC.

Aeromonas Hydrophila, peripherally inserted central catheter, sepsis, multiple organ failure

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