A 42-year-old male patient suffered from severe oedema, fever and pain from deep wounds on both feet that were not the result of trauma at the time of hospitalization. The deep wound infection on his left foot also had a foul odour (, right panel). The patient had been diagnosed previously as having diabetes with high blood pressure and had been treated with hypoglycaemic and antihypertensive enhancers orally, as well as insulin intravenously. At the time of hospitalization, the patient's vital signs were a body temperature of 38.7 °C, blood pressure of 110/70 mmHg, a pulse of 70 beats min− 1 and a respiratory rate of 20 beats min− 1. The patient's body temperature rose steadily to a peak of 39.9 °C. The number of leukocytes and the level of C-reactive protein in peripheral blood were determined to be 19 000 mm− 3 and 202.42 mg l− 1, respectively. During hospitalization, samples from his foot lesions were collected nine times for bacterial culture and blood samples were collected for blood cultures. Blood cultures were conducted a total of four times with three sets each time. The patient was administered intravenously with ciprofloxacin following hospitalization in accordance with empirical therapy procedures.