Background: Infection with Bacillus cereus is generally associated with gastrointestinal effects
of food poisoning linked to infected rice. Isolates of B. cereus in hospital and clinical settings
from any material other than vomitus or feces are commonly dismissed as contaminants.
Case Report: We report a case of B. cereus surgical site infection after fasciotomy in a healthy
31 year-old man admitted to the orthopedic ward with a comminuted fracture of the tibia. No
source was identified.
Conclusions: This report highlights the risk of surgical site infection with an unlikely bacterium
known to contaminate surgical materials. It stresses the importance of vigilance against
this infrequent but potentially serious non-gastrointestinal bacillary infection, as organisms
dismissed initially as contaminants may lead to rapid clinical deterioration. The use of antimicrobial
agents with nosocomial coverage, even of non-nosocomial pathogens, is considered
in the treatment of postoperative surgical site infections.
