Volume 37, Number 6, December 2004
| | Clinical experiences of bacteremia caused by metallo-β-lactamase-producing Gram-negative organisms |
Nan-Yao Lee1, Jing-Jou Yan2,3, Hsin-Chun Lee1,3, Kung-Hung Liu1, Shao-Tsung Huang1, Wen-Chien Ko1,3
Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of 1Internal Medicine and 2Pathology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan; and 3Department of Medicine, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC
Received: March 23, 2004 Revised: April 26, 2004 Accepted: May 17, 2004
Corresponding author: Wen-Chien Ko, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, No. 138, Sheng Li Road, 704, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC. E-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
The emergence of acquired metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) in Gram-negative bacilli is regarded as a therapeutic challenge since such enzymes are capable of hydrolyzing all β-lactams in vitro except the monobactams. The clinical characteristics and outcome of 8 episodes of Gram-negative bacteremia caused by MBL-producing isolates from January 1997 through December 2000 (Klebsiella pneumoniae, 6 isolates; Pseudomonas stutzeri, 4; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 1; and Pseudomonas putida, 1) were analyzed. The median age of the patients was 61 years (range, 2-95 years). Most patients (n = 6, 75%) had more than 1 comorbid illness or condition and 6 patients acquired bacteremia in the intensive care unit. The median time from admission to the first positive culture was 34.5 days (range, 1-99 days). Pneumonia was the most common site of infection. Five patients (62.5%) received a carbapenem to treat bacteremia. The median time to defervescence was 6 days (range, 2-12 days). No bacteriologic failure was noted during or after antimicrobial therapy. The overall mortality rate from bacteremia caused by Gram-negative, MBL-producing organisms was nil at 14 or 28 days.
Key words: Beta-lactamases, bacteremia, carbapenems, Gram-negative bacteria
J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2004;37:343-349.
| |
|
