Unexpected Death Due to Dental Pseudomonas Infection: A Case Report

Dental infection is known to cause systemic complication, but an unexpected death due to dental infection as a result of casual attitude towards dental care in normal Indian life. In this reported case, a 45 year old lady first developed toothache, then dysphagia, dysphonia and septicemia with fever. The deceased died at home after 4 weeks of toothache. During postmortem, greenish yellow pus was seen in teeth cavities of both the jaw, larynx and pharynx. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from pus sample and from femoral blood sample. The deceased also had diabetes, which is a risk factor for septicemia. This case highlights that in presence of metabolic diseases minor infection can cause fatality if timely treatment is not taken.