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Vibrio vulnificus infection

Guidelines

Key sources

The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of Vibrio vulnificus infection are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC 2024), the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2022), the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST 2018), the Surgical Infection Society Europe (SIS-E/WSES 2018), the Korean ...
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Diagnostic investigations

Exposure history
As per CDC 2024 guidelines:
Elicit a history of eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, or wound or soft tissue being exposed to salt water, brackish water, raw seafood, or juice or drippings from raw seafood.
E
Suspect vibriosis in patients with watery diarrhea recently eaten raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters, or with a wound infection occurring after exposure to seawater.
E
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  • Laboratory testing

  • Diagnostic imaging

Medical management

Management of gastroenteritis
As per CDC 2024 guidelines:
Do not offer treatment in mild cases. Advise drinking liquids to correct fluid loss from diarrhea.
D
Administer antibiotics in patients with severe illness.
E

More topics in this section

  • Management of cellulitis and necrotizing fasciitis

  • Management of sepsis

Therapeutic procedures

Negative pressure wound therapy: as per SIS-E/WSES 2018 guidelines, consider offering negative pressure wound therapy for wound care after complete removal of necrosis in patients with necrotizing soft tissue infection.
B

Surgical interventions

Surgical debridement: as per CDC 2024 guidelines, pay careful attention to the wound site. Perform aggressive debridement or amputation of the infected limb as clinically necessary: debride necrotic tissue; perform fasciotomy or limb amputation in severe cases.
E

Preventative measures

Primary prevention: as per EASL 2022 guidelines, advise patients with hemochromatosis and iron overload to avoid direct handling and consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish and wound exposure to seawater since the Vibrio vulnificus is a siderophilic pathogen.
E