A Bite to Remember: A Case Report of Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infection of the Forearm Caused by Prevotella intermedia.

INTRODUCTION

Human bite wounds account for a small proportion of bite injuries but carry a high risk of infection due to polymicrobial inoculation. While most infections present as cellulitis or abscess, necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) are rare and potentially fatal.

CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 72-year-old female who developed an NSTI of the forearm after an occlusal human bite. Despite empiric antibiotics, the infection progressed rapidly, and intraoperative cultures grew Prevotella intermedia, an uncommon anaerobe in NSTIs. She required urgent fasciotomy and debridement, followed by targeted antibiotics and wound closure.

CONCLUSION

This case underscores the importance of early surgical consultation for suspicious bite wounds and highlights P. intermedia as a potential pathogen in upper extremity NSTIs.