Staphylococcus aureus-induced shock: a pathophysiologic study.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of lethal intravenous infusions of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) in adult dogs. Animals were maintained under anesthesia for 6 hr and observed until death following the 1-hr infusions of SA organisms. Findings unique to SA administration compared to those with Escherichia coli were the absence of significant necrosis of the mucosal intestinal glands of the small and large intestines; widespread intravascular colonization of bacteria in lung, heart, kidney and adrenal tissues often associated with neutrophil sequestration, microabscess formation, and necrosis; relative constant blood pressure, fibrinogen, fibrin degradation products (FDP), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), blood (serum) urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, pH, and PO2, all of which remained relatively unchanged for 6 hr. Rapid early increases were observed in temperature, respiration rate, lactate, and hematocrit, while PCO2, platelet and white blood cell concentrations decreased. Results suggest unique qualitative differences in responses to Staphylococcal-induced shock compared to those caused by gram-negative bacteria.