Published online Dec 16, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i35.13099
Peer-review started: September 30, 2022
First decision: October 24, 2022
Revised: November 2, 2022
Accepted: November 22, 2022
Article in press: November 22, 2022
Published online: December 16, 2022
Processing time: 74 Days and 16.8 Hours
Acupuncture is relatively popular worldwide, but an unregulated operation can easily lead to infections. The purpose of this report was to analyze a clinical case of surgery combined with the use of antibiotics for the treatment of thoracic vertebral infection by Escherichia coli (E. coli) after acupuncture.
A 63-year-old male was diagnosed with E. coli infection in the thoracic vertebra after acupuncture. His fever and pain did not improve after treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics for 10 d. Thus, debridement of the infected area and biopsy were decided. The final pathology confirmed the diagnosis of vertebral infection by E. coli. The patient underwent anterior and posterior thoracic vertebral debridement and internal fixation surgery combined with the use of sensitive antibiotics. He had no fever or backache 3 mo postoperatively.
In this report, we first considered antibiotic treatment for the patient with septic spinal infection, but the effect was not obvious. Interventional surgery was combined with the use of sensitive antibiotics to relieve backache, and good clinical results were achieved. Furthermore, acupuncture practitioners should pay attention to hygienic measures.
Core Tip: Lack of aseptic awareness of acupuncture can easily cause patients to develop infections at the treatment area. Some even lead to serious medical errors. The patient in this case developed vertebral infection after acupuncture treatment on the back. After a cycle of antibiotic treatment without significant improvement, early surgical intervention in combination with the postoperative use of sensitive antibiotics may be considered.