Hospitalization due to Pasteurella multocida-infected animal bite wounds: correlation with inadequate primary antibiotic medication.

Over a 10-y period, patients hospitalized with Pasteurella-induced cat or dog bite-associated wound infection were analysed retrospectively with regard to preceding antibiotic medication. In 10/14 cases, hospitalization was necessitated in spite of prophylactic or therapeutic administration of oral antibiotics. In 1 case, phenoxymethylpenicillin and flucloxacillin had been prescribed. The other patients received flucloxacillin (7 patients), erythromycin, or cefadroxil (1 patient each), agents that are not consistently active against Pasteurella. In conclusion, hospitalization due to Pasteurella-induced animal bite-associated wound infection seemed to be related to the prescription of suboptimal oral antibiotic therapy at a preceding medical consultation.