Case Study: Acute Enteritis with Sepsis A 63-year-old man was seen in the emergency room with complaints of sudden onset of fever, chills, and abdominal pain accompanied by mild diarrhea. A blood sample was drawn for a complete blood count (CBC) and a blood culture. A second blood culture was drawn from the opposite arm, with 10 mL of blood being placed into each an aerobic and an anaerobic bottle

This version of the course is no longer available.
Need multiple seats for your university or lab? Get a quote
The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Case Studies in Clinical Microbiology. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

Learn more about Case Studies in Clinical Microbiology (online CE course)

Case Study: Acute Enteritis with Sepsis
A 63-year-old man was seen in the emergency room with complaints of sudden onset of fever, chills, and abdominal pain accompanied by mild diarrhea.
A blood sample was drawn for a complete blood count (CBC) and a blood culture. A second blood culture was drawn from the opposite arm, with 10 mL of blood being placed into each an aerobic and an anaerobic bottle.
The CBC revealed a hemoglobin of 15.8 mg/dL, hematocrit of 45%, and a white blood count of 4.2/L. The neutrophils were 39%, lymphocytes 45%, monocytes 10%, eosinophils 4%, and basophils 2%. The platelet count was 255/L. The patient was admitted to the hospital for further work-up and empiric antibiotic therapy.
Within 24 hours after admission, the fever had decreased, although the mild diarrhea persisted. A stool toxin test for Clostridium difficile was negative and neither enteric pathogens nor Campylobacter species were recovered in stool culture after 24 hours incubation. Fecal neutrophils were not seen on direct examination. The anaerobic blood culture became positive 36 hours after inoculation.

Gas gangrene may be seen in infections with all the following clostridia EXCEPT for which of the following?

Please select the single best answer