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Background: Agrobacteria are Gram-negative tumorigenic plant pathogens that rarely cause infections in humans., Methods: The authors describe a 7-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who carried a central venous catheter and developed bacteremia due to Agrobacterium radiobacter (A. radiobacter)., Results: Microbiological cure was achieved after administration of systemic ceftriaxone along with gentamicin lock therapy to the central venous catheter for 10 days. Catheter removal was not required, and the patient has not relapsed with bacteremia due to the same pathogen for more than 6 months., Conclusions: A. radiobacter is an emerging pathogen affecting immunocompromised children, particularly those with leukemia who carry central venous catheters. Although it has a low virulence, erratic susceptibility patterns, and high frequency of resistance to many antibiotics, ceftriaxone appears to be successful in treatment of most cases. Catheter removal for the clearance of bloodstream infections due to A. radiobacter may not be required in selected patients like the present case.

Objectives: To study potential differences in the clinical and microbiological features of hospitalized elderly patients with acute pyelonephritis with and without diabetes mellitus., Design: Retrospective review of medical records., Setting: University hospital., Participants: Eighty-eight patients aged 65 and older with diabetes mellitus (DM) (57 female; 64.8%) and 118 controls without DM (75 female; 63.6%), matched for age and sex, hospitalized with acute pyelonephritis between January 1997 and December 2005., Measurements: Medical records were reviewed for demographic, clinical, and microbiological characteristics., Results: The median age of both groups was 74 (range 65-95). Twenty-seven people with DM (30.7%) and 13 controls (11.0%) had bacteremia (P=.001). People with DM had longer fever (median 4.5 vs 2.5 days; P<.001), longer hospitalization (median 10 vs 7 days; P<.001), and greater mortality (12.5% vs 2.5%; P<.01) than controls. Logistic regression analysis proved DM to be an independent predictor of bacteremia, long hospitalization, and mortality. Escherichia coli was the most common microorganism found in both groups, whereas Candida spp. were implicated more frequently in people with DM than controls (12.7% vs 1.7%; P<.01). Antimicrobial resistance did not increase over the study period., Conclusion: Acute pyelonephritis in elderly people with DM is associated with risk of bacteremia, long hospitalization, and mortality.

An 87-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of fever, productive cough, dyspnea and altered consciousness. His medical history was significant for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He owned several pets. Physical examination and a chest radiograph revealed right upper lobe pneumonia. Blood cultures taken on admission yielded Pasteurella multocida and antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed susceptibility to beta-lactams. The fever subsided four days after treatment with intravenous ceftriaxone and the patient was discharged in a very good clinical condition after two weeks of treatment. Although no history of bites or scratches was documented, it is likely that our patient was exposed to the secretions of his many pets through inhalation of contaminated aerosols. This resulted in tracheobronchial tree colonization by P. multocida, which later developed into pneumonia. Close animal contact should be avoided by frail, elderly patients with chronic pulmonary diseases, as it is a risk factor for pneumonia due to Pasteurella spp.

Background: Although patients with malignant diseases are at increased risk for bloodstream infections (BSIs), limited data are available for those with solid tumors., Patients and Methods: The etiology, clinical features and outcome of BSIs were retrospectively studied in patients with solid tumors treated at the Department of Medical Oncology at the University Hospital of Heraklion, Greece, from November 1995 through June 2000., Results: A total of 157 episodes of BSIs was identified among 137 patients over the study period. The majority of the episodes (128; 82%) occurred in non-neutropenic patients. 80 of 157 (51%) of the episodes were healthcare-associated, 35% (55 of 157) were nosocomial and 14% (22 of 157) were community acquired. A single pathogen was isolated in 86% of the episodes. A total of 184 pathogens was isolated (51% gram-negative rods, 44% gram-positive cocci, 3% anaerobes and 3% fungi), while the portal of entry was identified in 104 of 157 (66%) of the episodes. The site of the primary tumor or the metastases were the source of BSI in 39 of 104 (37.5%) of the episodes with an identified source. The overall infectious mortality was 20% and was significantly higher when the initial empirical antibiotic therapy was inappropriate (39%; p < 0.001) and in the presence of shock (63%; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: BSIs in patients with solid tumors are frequently healthcare associated and in a large percentage the portal of entry can be identified. Neutropenia is not as common as in patients with hematologic malignancies. Inappropriate initial empirical antibiotic therapy and shock are clinical factors associated with worse outcomes.

Capnocytophaga species are inhabitants of the normal mouth flora. We describe the case of a 6-year-old-girl with leukemia and poor oral hygiene who developed bacteremia caused by Capnocytophaga gingivalis. The organism was detected only on quantitative blood cultures.

Three cases of viridans group streptococcal bacteremia in 2 children with brain tumours and in 1 with autoimmune neutropenia are presented. All children were neutropenic. The 2 patients with malignancy also had mucositis. The isolated strains of viridans group streptococci showed considerable resistance to antibiotics. All patients were empirically treated with third generation cephalosporins and amikacin, before antibiotic sensitivities were available and recovered without complications. Viridans group streptococcal bacteremia should be suspected in neutropenic children, especially in the presence of mucositis. Prospective, randomized clinical trials of mouth antiseptics are needed to clarify the usefulness, if any, of such measures in the reduction of viridans group streptococcal bacteremia in this group of patients.

The case of an elderly immunocompromised man with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who presented with fever, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea is described. Brachyspira pilosicoli was isolated from culture. The patient was treated with penicillin G i.v. and became afebrile. B. pilosicoli is a recently recognized enteric pathogen of humans and animals. Intestinal spirochetosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of any immunocompromised or critically ill patient with dysentery.