Disseminated Staphylococcus aureus infection after scarification wet cupping therapy: a case report and literature review
Abstract
Background Cupping therapy is a complementary and alternative medical therapy used especially in pain management. It is generally considered a safe procedure, but complications, including life-threatening infection, may still occur. Understanding these complications is essential to safe and evidence-based use of cupping in practice. Case presentation Here we report a rare case of disseminated Staphylococcus aureus infection after cupping therapy. After wet cupping, a 33-year-old immunocompetent woman developed fever, myalgia, and a productive cough accompanied by acute liver and kidney injury, iliopsoas abscess, and gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient was treated successfully with cefmetazole plus levofloxacin after microbiological and antimicrobial sensitivity testing. Conclusions Though rarely reported, clinicians, practitioners of cupping therapy, and patients should be aware of the risk of infection after cupping therapy. High hygiene standards are recommended for cupping therapy, even in immunocompetent individuals.
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Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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