Fulminant infections are usually associated with bacteremia, shock and multi-organ failure (MOF). Sometimes a toxin may be produced by the organism.
Bacteria that may be associated with fulminant infections:
(1) Streptococcus pyogenes
(2) Streptococcus pneumoniae
(3) Staphylococcus aureus
(4) Vibrio species
Factors that may contribute to fulminant infections:
(1) bacterial strain
(2) delay in presenting for care
(3) inadequate medical management
(4) predisposing conditions that affect host defenses (splenectomy or splenic dysfunction, alcoholic cirrhosis, immunosuppression, etc)
(5) severe comorbid conditions that affect the host’s ability to respond
