Drowning with acute respiratory failure

Authors

  • Alessio Trombetta Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, Università degli Studi di Messina
  • Andrea Zappalà Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, Università degli Studi di Messina
  • Ilaria Di Cataldo Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, Università degli Studi di Messina
  • Rosalba Relo Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, Università degli Studi di Messina
  • Federica Lo Bello Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, Università degli Studi di Messina
  • Alfio Proietto Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, Università degli Studi di Messina
  • Gaetano Caramori Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, Università degli Studi di Messina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13129/1828-6550/APMB.110.1.2022.CCS2

Keywords:

drowning, acute respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), methicillin-resistant staphylococcal aureus (MRSA) sepsis

Abstract

We present the case of a 74-year-old male that was admitted to our Unit of Pulmonology for chlorinated freshwater drowning syndrome with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Despite an initial clinical response, with improvement of the respiratory failure and decreased number of the multifocal pulmonary opacities on chest CT, after about ten days from the admission, the patient developed intermittent fever (up to 39.3°C), re-worsening of the respiratory failure and pneumatocele. Blood cultures showed the presence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcal aureus (MRSA) sepsis. Despite many courses of different antibiotics, the patient died. MRSA is a rare cause of pneumonia after drowning with a high lethality rate.

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Published

2022-06-09

Issue

Vol. 110 No. 1 (2022)

Section

CLINICAL CASE SEMINAR

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