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My father's wound test detected E.coli bacteria. Is it fatal?
My dad had a minor fall that left a wound, the wound started to spread across the leg and, despite of medication, was not getting cured. We did a pus culture test that indicated the growth of E.coli bacteria. Is it fatal?
4 Answers
No. A leg wound infection should not be fatal. Be sure all pus is drained and that any dead tissue is debrided. Make sure that the E. coli is the only organism in the culture and that an anaerobic culture has also been done. Make sure that the E. coli and any other cultured bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic chosen for treatment and that it is given in the proper dosage.
E. coli from skin infections is only fatal if it causes sepsis when it grows in blood cultures.
Should not be if treated appropriately
Drug resistance has rapidly emerged among bacterias like E. coli, although vast majority of these infections are curable and need appropriate diagnosis and antibiotic therapy.
There should also be evaluation for possible deep tissue infection/involvement, such decisions are often predicated upon the clinical presentation of infection.