Athlete Develops Sepsis From Poorly Treated Skin Infection

Case Overview

The case involves a 17-year-old male swimmer in otherwise good health who presented to a dermatologist with a boil in his left groin area. The patient was given a cortisone shot and sent home. Several days later, the patient presented with a soft tissue infection. The patient went back to the dermatologist and was found to have cellulitis. The patient was placed on Amoxicillin for 2 weeks and was told to follow up at the end of the antibiotic course. When the patient presented for his follow up, the infection had not subsided, however, no culture was obtained. The dermatologist continued on the patient’s Amoxicillin treatment. Several weeks later, the patient began experiencing night sweats and high fever. He was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with viral sepsis. It was alleged that the proper steps were not taken to rule out complications of infections.

Questions to the Infectious Disease and Communicable Disease expert and their responses

Please explain your knowledge of proper care to prevent infectious in boils or similar skin issues?

I direct the Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a prestigious university hospital, so routinely assist clinicians with the appropriate treatment of skin and soft tissue infections. As program director, I assist clinicians with optimizing the selection, route, dose, interval, and frequency of antibiotics, develop guidelines to guide the appropriate and judicious use of antibiotics and monitor patient outcomes after implementation of these practices. My research focuses on clinical outcomes related to antibiotic administration strategies in both children and adults and the incorporation of rapid diagnostics to assist with the early optimization of antibiotic therapy.

About the expert

This double board-certified doctor is fellowship trained in pediatric infectious diseases and practices at one of the top medical universities in the country. She received her BS and MD from the State University of New York Downstate and her MHS from Johns Hopkins University. This expert has authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and is a reviewer for the Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal, and Clinical Infectious Diseases, among others. Before her current positions, this expert was an instructor in pediatrics and a pediatric hospitalist at Johns Hopkins University. Currently, she is an assistant professor of pediatric infectious disease and epidemiology in addition to being the director of the pediatric antimicrobial stewardship Program, wherein she oversees the use of all antibiotics in the children's center and assists physicians with the selection, dose, duration, and frequency of antibiotics.

E-005391

Specialties:

Infectious Disease and Communicable Disease

Dr. Wendy Ketner is a distinguished medical professional with a comprehensive background in surgery and medical research. Currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at the Expert Institute, she plays a pivotal role in overseeing the organization's most important client relationships. Dr. Ketner's extensive surgical training was completed at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, where she gained hands-on experience in various general surgery procedures, including hernia repairs, cholecystectomies, appendectomies, mastectomies for breast cancer, breast reconstruction, surgical oncology, vascular surgery, and colorectal surgery. She also provided care in the surgical intensive care unit.

Her research interests have focused on post-mastectomy reconstruction and the surgical treatment of gastric cancer, including co-authoring a textbook chapter on the subject. Additionally, she has contributed to research on the percutaneous delivery of stem cells following myocardial infarction.

Dr. Ketner's educational background includes a Bachelor's degree from Yale University in Latin American Studies and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. Moreover, she is a member of the Board of Advisors for Opollo Technologies, a fintech healthcare AI company, contributing her medical expertise to enhance healthcare technology solutions. Her role at Expert Institute involves leveraging her medical knowledge to provide insights into legal cases, underscoring her unique blend of medical and legal acumen.