Korean J Pediatr.  2006 May;49(5):494-499. 10.3345/kjp.2006.49.5.494.

Outbreak of Acinetobacter septicemia in a neonatal intensive care unit

• Kim MJ
• Lee HJ
• Son SH
• Huh JW

• KMID: 2278556
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2006.49.5.494

Abstract

PURPOSE: Acinetobacter baumannii is increasingly recognized as an important cause of nosocomial infection, especially in neonatal intensive care units. But little is known about the clinical significance and hospital epidemiology of Acinetobacter species other than A. baumannii. The objective of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of septicemia due to Acinetobacter species other than A. baumannii.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 11 cases of blood culture proven nosocomial infection which occured in our neonatal intensive care unit from 4th to 24th, February, 2004. To establish epidemiological analysis, we performed environmental cultures and an antibiogram was obtained from susceptability tests of isolated Acinetobacter species.
RESULTS
Clinical manifestations including fever, poor feeding, abdominal distension, diarrhea, bloody stool passage, vomiting, tachypnea and apnea were similar to other infectious diseases. Benign clinical courses were compared with poor prognose, including a high mortality rate in septicemia due to A. baumannii. The major predisposing factor among our patients was the presence of a peripheral intravascular catheter. Antibiogram was similar, but surveillance cultures of environmental specimens failed to identify the source of infection.
CONCLUSION
Acinetobacter species other than A. baumannii were often considered relatively avirulent bacteria, but could be pathologic organisms if cultured in patients with clinical symptoms.

Keyword

Acinetobacter; Disease outbreaks; Intensive care units; Neonatal

MeSH Terms

Acinetobacter baumannii
Acinetobacter*
Apnea
Bacteria
Catheters
Causality
Communicable Diseases
Cross Infection
Diarrhea
Disease Outbreaks
Epidemiology
Fever
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Intensive Care Units
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Intensive Care, Neonatal*
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Mortality
Retrospective Studies
Sepsis*
Tachypnea
Vomiting