Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 61, 229-230, 2008

Short Communication Hickman Catheter-Related Bacteremia with cryocrescens: a Case Report Demet Toprak, Ahmet Soysal, Ozden Turel, Tuba Dal1, Özlem Özkan1, Guner Soyletir1 and Mustafa Bakir* Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and 1Department of Microbiology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey (Received September 10, 2007. Accepted March 19, 2008)

SUMMARY: This report describes a 2-year-old child with neuroectodermal tumor presenting with febrile neu- tropenia. Blood cultures drawn from the peripheral vein and Hickman catheter revealed growth. The Hickman catheter was removed and the patient was successfully treated with cefepime and amikacin. Isolation of Kluyvera spp. from clinical specimens is rare. This saprophyte microorganism may cause serious central venous catheter infections, especially in immunosuppressed patients. Clinicians should be aware of its virulence and resistance to many antibiotics.

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are frequently used in confirmed by VITEK AMS (VITEK Systems, Hazelwood, Mo., patients with hematologic and oncologic disorders. Along with USA) and by API (Analytab Inc., Plainview, N.Y., USA). Anti- their increased use, short- and long-term complications of microbial susceptibility was assessed by the disc diffusion CVCs are more often being reported. The incidence of CVC method. K. cryocrescens was sensitive for cefotaxime, cefepime, infections correlates with duration of catheter usage, immuno- carbapenems, gentamycine, amikacin and ciprofloxacin. logic status of the patient, type of catheter utilized and mainte- Intravenous cefepime and amikacin were continued and the nance techniques employed. A definition of CVC infection CVC was removed. His echocardiogram was normal and has been difficult to establish because of problems differen- a repeat peripheral blood culture was sterile 48 h after the tiating contaminant from pathogen microorganisms. The most removal of the CVC. He became afebrile on the third day common isolated pathogens associated with CVC infections of antibiotic therapy. The patient ultimately received a 14- include Gram-positive and Gram-negative and fungi day-course of intravenous cefepime and amikacin and was (1). Isolation of Kluyvera spp. from clinical specimens and discharged from the hospital without sequelae. especially from CVCs is rare (2). This report describes a child This is a case of CVC-related bacteremia caused by K. who presented with CVC infection caused by the uncommon cryocrescens, a Gram-negative bacillus initially defined as pathogen Kluyvera cryocrescens. a benign saprophyte. It is considered that this genus pre- A 2-year-old boy previously diagnosed with primary neuro- dominantly colonizes the respiratory, gastrointestinal and ectodermal tumor (PNET) was admitted to the hospital with urinary tracts. Isolation of Kluyvera spp. was previously fever. He had a Hickman catheter which was placed for reported by Farmer et al. (3) from human sources, including intravenous access 4 months before admission. His axillary sputum, urine, stool, throat and blood specimens. Environ- temperature was 38.5°C and his arterial blood pressure mental sources noted were sewage, soil, kitchen food, water was normal. Other vital signs, such as breath frequency, and hospital sinks. These findings suggest that Kluyvera spp. pulse and oximetry, were normal. The capillary refill of the are widely distributed. The Kluyvera is a small, motile patient was <1 s. The patient was not irritable after fever Gram-negative bacillus with peritrichous flagella. Its bio- showed defervescence. His physical examination revealed no chemical profile is similar to that of other . focus for fever. For this reason, we did not suspect catheter- Bacteria of the Kluyvera genus are mainly grouped into four related bacteremia at presentation. His complete blood count known species, , Kluyvera cryocrescens, (CBC) revealed an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 100/ Kluyvera cochleae and Kluyvera georgiana (4,5). In addi- mm3. He was diagnosed with febrile neutropenia, and empiric tion, Pavan et al. (4) have also proposed that Enterobacter cefepime (3×50 mg/kg/dose) and amikacin (1×15 mg/kg/ intermedius is phenotypically and genotypically a member of dose) was initiated. On the second day, a Gram stain of the the Kluyvera genus. West et al. (6) stated that K. cryocrescens blood culture bottles disclosed Gram-negative bacilli in both is as often isolated as K. ascorbata. These two species are samples obtained from the CVC and peripheric vein. Sub- differentiated by the ability of K. ascorbata to utilize ascorbate cultures inoculated on 5% sheep blood agar, MacConkey agar and K. cryocrescens to grow and ferment D-glucose at 5°C. and chocolate agar plates and aerobically incubated at 37°C They are also differentiated by differences in the zone of in- for 24 h revealed growth of K. cryocrescens in both samples. hibition around carbenicillin (100-μg disk) and cephalothin The organism was identified by using biochemical tests and (30-μg disk). It has recently been shown that, even if Kluyvera infec- *Corresponding author: Mailing address: Section of Pediatric tions are initially benign, serious infections can develop in Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Marmara Univer- immunosuppressed hosts. Cases of urinary tract infections, sity School of Medicine, Tophanelio˘glu caddesi, Altunizade, mediastinitis, sepsis, enteritis, biliary tract infections, perito- Istanbul, Turkey. Tel: +90-216-3273757, Fax: +90-216-3267667, nitis, intraabdominal abscess and CVC-related bacteremia E-mail: [email protected] have been reported (6-11). In a case series described by Carter

229 and Evans (12), 7 clinically significant Kluyvera isolates were Despite their initial description as a benign saprophyte, identified in a 5-year-period: 3 patients had urinary tract infec- Kluyvera organisms are potentially life-threatening and should tions; 2 patients had bacteremia; 1 had a soft tissue infection not be discounted when isolated in the clinical setting. Clini- of the finger; and 1 had acute appendicitis with a subsequent cians should be aware of this potential and provide appropri- intraabdominal abscess. All isolates were identified as K. ate antimicrobial therapy. This case emphasizes that this ascorbata. The entire spectrum of disease related to Kluyvera potential saprophyte microorganism can cause serious CVC spp. remains unknown because of the limited number of cases infections, especially in immunosuppressed children. Kluyvera reported. Analysis of the reported cases indicates that the spp. are similar to other enteric bacteria in terms of their bio- most common manifestation of infection with Kluyvera spp. chemical identification patterns. This may be a reason for is urinary tract infection. Kluyvera infections related solely potential underestimation of Kluyvera infections. In conclu- to bacteremia have been documented in 10 cases previously: sion, clinicians should be aware of their virulence and must 5 cases were reported as K. cryocrescens, 4 as K. ascorbata be careful about their potential resistance to many antibiotics. and 1 as Kluyvera with no species identified. Our case is the third child to present with bacteremia due to Kluyvera spp. in REFERENCES the literature. 1. Mermel, L.A., Farr, B.M., Sherertz, R.J., et al. (2001): Guidelines for A nosocomial outbreak of K. cryocrescens bacteremia iso- the management of intravascular catheter-related infections. Clin. In- lated in 4 cases has been reported (13). These 4 cases all had fect. Dis., 32, 1249-1272. coronary artery disease and peripheral intravenous line. All 2. Wong, V.K. (1987): Broviac catheter infection with Kluyvera patients had two consecutive sets of blood cultures positive cryocrescens: a case report. J. Clin. Microbiol., 25, 1115-1116. 3. Farmer, J.J., III, Fanning, R.G., Huntley-Carter, G.P., et al. (1981): for K. cryocrescens and all of the patients were discharged from Kluyvera, a new (redefined) genus in the family Enterobacteriacea: the hospital after appropriate antibiotic therapy. There have identification of Kluyvera ascorbata sp. nov. and Kluyvera cryocrescens been only a few cases of CVC infections and bacteremia due sp. nov. in clinical specimens. J. Clin. Microbiol., 13, 919-933. to Kluyvera spp. in the literature. In this case, the isolation of 4. Pavan, M.E., Franco, R.J., Rodriguez, J.M., et al. (2005): Phylogenetic K. cryocrescens from blood drawn from the central catheter relationships of the genus Kluyvera: transfer of Enterobacter intermedius Izard et al.1980 to the genus Kluyvera as Kluyvera intermedia comb. and the clinical response to antibiotic therapy suggested a CVC nov. and reclassification of Kluyvera cochleae as a later synonym of K. infection. No other focus for Kluyvera infection was found intermedia. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 55, 437-442. and possible environmental sources for K. cryocrescens were 5. Stock, I. (2005): Natural antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Kluyvera not investigated. Our patient was also not colonized with ascorbata and Kluyvera cryocrescens strains and review of the clinical efficacy of antimicrobial agents used for the treatment of Kluyvera Kluyvera before bacteremia. Two blood cultures drawn from infections. J. Chemother., 17, 143-160. the peripheral vein and central catheter of our patient both 6. 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