RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Case of the month: “Bugs are eating my soul” – sternal abscess, osteomyelitis, and mediastinitis complicating a closed sternal fracture
JF Emergency Medicine Journal
JO Emerg Med J
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and the British Association for Accident & Emergency Medicine
SP 736
OP 737
DO 10.1136/emj.2006.038000
VO 23
IS 9
A1 P A Randell
A1 L Somers
YR 2006
UL http://emj.bmj.com/content/23/9/736.abstract
AB Wound complications of closed sternal fracture are rare, but may have serious consequences if not effectively managed. We report a case of a patient who presented to the emergency department with a sternal abscess, osteomyelitis, and mediastinitis complicating a closed sternal fracture. It is hypothesised that in our patient bacteraemia post intravenous drug use resulted in seeding of the haematoma with Staphylococcus aureus. Early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary team effort were important in ensuring a favourable outcome.