• Nicolas J Dedy, Sarah Coghill, Nanda Kumar S Chandrashekar, and Randy R Bindra.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Australia. Electronic address: Nicolas.dedy@health.qld.gov.au.
• J Hand Surg Am. 2016 Jan 1; 41 (1): 81-4.

AbstractCapnocytophaga canimorsus is a gram-negative bacillus present in the oral cavities of 22% to 74% of healthy dogs. Capnocytophaga canimorsus has unique virulence factors that enable it to evade the human immune system and cause life-threatening sepsis following a dog bite. We report a previously well 68-year-old woman who presented with septic shock and multiorgan failure following a seemingly minor dog bite to the finger. The patient required intensive care treatment, intravenous antibiotic therapy, and multiple surgical procedures including amputation of the affected finger. The septicemia and coagulopathy that ensued resulted in gangrene and amputation of additional fingers and toes. The purpose of this report is to raise awareness of this organism among hand surgeons when faced with a patient presenting in septic shock and minimal signs at the site of a dog bite. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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