Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 28, Issue 1, 1996, Pages 83-85

Self-inflicted bacteraemia and fungaemia in Vietnamese migrants (Article)

Fung K.S.C.* , Scheel O. , Lyon D.J. , Cheng A.F.B. , Bendeck J.
  • a Department of Microbiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
  • b Department of Microbiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
  • c Department of Microbiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
  • d Department of Microbiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
  • e Medecins Sans Frontieres, Whitehead Detention Centre, Hong Kong

Abstract

From early 1993, we received a number of blood cultures, all from Vietnamese inmates of the Whitehead Detention Centre, the biggest detention camp in Hong Kong, which grew unusual organisms. Upon follow-up, the majority of the patients were found to abscond from the hospital a few days after having been admitted with a clinical picture of septic shock. During the period from March 1993 to late 1994, we noted a total of 25 positive blood cultures from 21 previously healthy Vietnamese migrants with this syndrome. The mean age was 27.8 years and 20 were males. The organisms isolated from the blood cultures were of low pathogenicity such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Trichosporon spp., Bacillus spp. and Micrococcus spp. Fourteen of the patients complained of abdominal pain and 3 others had apical pneumothoraces. Eighteen had shock requiring resuscitation. Multiple puncture or needle marks were found in 11 patients, mainly involving the lower limbs. One patient admitted inducing illness by self-injection, and it was suspected that all these infections were self-inflicted. The range of hospitalization was 1-13 days (mean 3.05 days). Eighteen of the 21 patients absconded.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

immigrant abdominal pain follow up human detention length of stay Saccharomyces cerevisiae Bacillus septic shock bacteremia leg puncture resuscitation Trichosporon blood culture fungemia Micrococcus pneumothorax male female Viet Nam clinical article automutilation Article adult needle Hong Kong hospital
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0029942644&doi=10.3109%2f00365549609027155&partnerID=40&md5=ddcafde938bc505954019d1b028d5217
DOI: 10.3109/00365549609027155
ISSN: 00365548
Cited by: 7
Original Language: English