Looking through the positive blood cultures in the morning, the Microbiology Registrar noticed a set positive for Staphylococcus lugdenensis. There were no clinical details on the request form but checking the patient’s blood tests showed a high white blood cell count and C-reactive protein. There was clearly something going on so the registrar gave the ward team a call. The team said the patient was being treated for pyelonephritis with Gentamicin but further questioning revealed that they also had a prosthetic aortic valve. The registrar wondered whether the patient might have infective endocarditis but the team weren’t convinced at first. The registrar explained the risks and suggested repeating the blood cultures as well as asking the Cardiologists for an opinion about the possible diagnosis.
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