Blood tests are clean. So are swabs. Any theories are welcome.
First and foremost; you don't need to tell me to take him to the hospital. He is *already there*, and has been inpatient since Monday, with IV antibiotics pushed every 8 hours.
Patient info: 41 year old man, 6'6" tall, veinous insufficiency and previously high blood pressure that was being treated via once a day pill. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, and doesn't have diabetes.
He's been dealing with slow-to-heal/non-healing ulcers on his ankle/lower leg for almost 2 years now, and his doctor's plan of treatment was to send him to a dermatologist (E. Coli infection that he was on 10 days of antibiotics for), give him some cream, and tell him to keep it covered.
That had been keeping it manageable until last Thursday when it swelled up and got very red. He went to the ER and was told to compress, elevate, and was given more cream. He stayed off of it and it continued to get worse, so we went back to the ER on Monday morning, and they admitted him to the hospital.
It's just gotten worse since. The doctors and nurses are stumped, and now we're waiting on the infectious disease doctor, wound specialist, and a biopsy.
Any suggestions as to what anyone thinks the cause could be? He's actively receiving medical treatment, but while we wait and have no answers, I thought I'd crowd source opinions and possibilities.
Thank you for reading!