Pasteurella multocida septicaemia in a patient on haemodialysis.

This case report details the presentation of a 76-year-old man on haemodialysis who rapidly developed overwhelming sepsis over a 24 h period with isolation of the pathogen Pasteurella multocida in blood cultures. Despite treatment with antibiotics shown to have good activity against this pathogen, the patient died. During further questioning, it transpired that the patient had allowed his dog to lick him, including the neck haemodialysis cannula, though no direct trauma in the form of bites or scratches were evident. The authors postulate that the dog licking may have been a possible route of transmission. To date, there is very little information on P multocida septicaemia in a haemodialysis patient and this report calls attention to the need for greater awareness as to the potential dangers of exposure to oral flora of pet animals in haemodialysis patients.