Abstract
Purulent infection of a surgical wound developed after discectomy, and a mannitol-nonfermenting Staphylococcus aureus isolate was cultivated as the etiologic agent. Nonfermenting S. aureus strains are exceedingly rare and may be erroneously mistaken and dismissed as contaminants. This report then emphasizes that pure and massive cultures must be carefully evaluated, even if preliminary examination does not suggest a pathogenic organism. Also, although mannitol-negative, the studied strain was correctly detected as S. aureus by both the-FISH test (AdvanDx, USA) and the Liofilchem 'Chromatic Staph aureus', highlighting that additional diagnostic methods may support recognition of uncommon, nonfermenting S. aureus strains in the daily practice.
Keywords:
Mannitol; Staphylococcus aureus; surgical wound.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
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DNA Fingerprinting / methods
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DNA, Bacterial / genetics
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Diskectomy / adverse effects*
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Diskectomy / methods
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Fermentation*
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Humans
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Lumbar Vertebrae / surgery*
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Male
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Mannitol / metabolism*
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Microbial Sensitivity Tests
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Microsurgery / adverse effects*
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Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Predictive Value of Tests
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Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis
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Staphylococcal Infections / drug therapy
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Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
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Staphylococcus aureus / classification
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Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
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Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
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Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
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Staphylococcus aureus / metabolism*
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Surgical Wound Infection / diagnosis
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Surgical Wound Infection / drug therapy
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Surgical Wound Infection / microbiology*
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Treatment Outcome
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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DNA, Bacterial
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Mannitol