cefotaxime and Hepatitis-B--Chronic

Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of severe leptospirosis (Weil's disease) may be difficult when other pathological processes that may cause similar clinical syndromes or affect immune response to infections coexist. In addition, the optimal management of the disease remains to be defined. We report on a case of Weil's disease, in which concurrent chronic hepatitis B virus infection and alcohol abuse caused diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties.

Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Alcoholism; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cefotaxime; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Liver Function Tests; Male; Middle Aged; Serologic Tests; Weil Disease

Spontaneous bacterial empyema is a complication of hepatic hydrothorax in cirrhotic patients. The pathogen, clinical course and treatment strategy are different to the empyema secondary to pneumonia. A 54-year-old man, who was a cirrhotic patient with hepatic hydrothorax, was admitted to National Taiwan University Hospital for fever, dyspnea and right side pleuritic pain. The image study revealed massive right pleural effusion and no evidence of pneumonia. The culture of pleural effusion yielded Aeromonas veronii biotype sobria. The diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial empyema caused by Aeromonas veronii biotype sobria was established. To our best knowledge, Aeromonas veronii biotype sobria had never been reported in English literature as the causative pathogen of spontaneous bacterial empyema.

Topics: Aeromonas; Cefotaxime; Cephalosporins; Empyema, Pleural; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Humans; Hydrothorax; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged