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Course: Fever, Hypotension, and a Worsening Necrotic Wound

CME Credits: 1.00

Released: 2022-03-21

On the day of giving birth via a normal vaginal delivery, a healthy woman in her 20s developed painful swelling on her right thigh, at the site of a methergine injection administered 1 day prior. Despite 3 days of treatment with an oral antibiotic (cefalexin), her thigh pain and swelling did not improve, and she was readmitted to the hospital and intravenous clindamycin was started. Wound cultures and blood cultures obtained during incision and drainage performed on hospital day 1 were negative for bacterial, mycobacterial, and fungal organisms. The following day, her temperature was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F), blood pressure was 86/42 mm Hg, and heart rate was 131/min. She was transferred to the intensive care unit for presumed septic shock, and her antibiotics were changed to vancomycin and meropenem. Surgical debridement of the right thigh was performed on hospital day 3.


Educational Objective
Based on this clinical scenario and the accompanying image, understand how to arrive at a correct diagnosis.


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