Which organism is commonly associated with purulent tenosynovitis after a human bite?

Which organism is commonly associated with purulent tenosynovitis after a human bite?

• A. Eikenella corrodens
• B. Staphylococcus aureus
• C. Streptococcus pyogenes
• D. Pasteurella multocida

Answer: (A)

Infections from human bites reflect the mouth’s flora, and infections of the hand’s tendon sheaths after such bites are classically caused by Eikenella corrodens. This organism is a gram-negative rod that resides in the human oral cavity and is well known for invading deep soft tissues like the flexor tendon sheath, leading to purulent tenosynovitis after a bite. Clinically, this association guides therapy toward antibiotics that cover oral flora including Eikenella, such as amoxicillin-clavulanate or ampicillin-sulbactam. In contrast, Pasteurella multocida is more typical of animal bites; Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species are common wound pathogens in general but do not have the same specific link to human-bite tenosynovitis.

Infections from human bites reflect the mouth’s flora, and infections of the hand’s tendon sheaths after such bites are classically caused by Eikenella corrodens. This organism is a gram-negative rod that resides in the human oral cavity and is well known for invading deep soft tissues like the flexor tendon sheath, leading to purulent tenosynovitis after a bite. Clinically, this association guides therapy toward antibiotics that cover oral flora including Eikenella, such as amoxicillin-clavulanate or ampicillin-sulbactam. In contrast, Pasteurella multocida is more typical of animal bites; Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species are common wound pathogens in general but do not have the same specific link to human-bite tenosynovitis.