The treatment of Eikenella corrodens soft tissue infection in an injection drug user.

Eikenella corrodens is a gram negative rod considered normal mouth flora and is commonly linked to human bite injuries. In rare cases, E. corrodens can cause systemic infections. This article describes the case of a 30-year-old injection drug user who presented with a serious polymicrobial infection of the arm. Usual empiric antibiotic coverage resulted in little improvement, and eventually 300 milliliters of purulent material was drained from his upper arm. Cultures of the drainage grew E. corrodens as well as other oral flora. After surgical drainage, specific antibiotic therapy directed towards E. corrodens was added to his antimicrobial therapy and the patient fully recovered. We conclude that E. corrodens is common in the injection drug user population as part of mixed infections, and that empiric antibiotic coverage for this organism, namely penicillin, may be warranted in certain clinical situations.