Prognostic Factors and Antibiotics in Vibrio vulnificus Septicemia

Background:Immunocompromised patients withVibriovulnificussepticemiaareathighriskforfatality.When ahemorrhagicbullousnecroticcutaneouslesion(HBNCL) anddecreasedbloodpressuredevelop,approximately50% of V vulnificus septicemic patients die within 48 hours. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factor(s) for fatality among patients with V vulnificus septicemia, emphasizing the role of prescribed antimicrobial agents in general and the therapeutic efficacy of the combination of a third-generationcephalosporinandtetracyclineoritsanalogue in particular. Methods:Patients with the diagnosis ofV vulnificusinfectionadmitted to 5 large medical centers in Taiwan between 1995 and 2003 were included in this retrospectivestudy.Patientsweredividedinto2groups:thosewith HBNCLs and those without HBNCLs. Patients were further divided into subgoups without fatalities (fatal subgroup) and those without fatalities (nonfatal subgroup).