Fatal anerobic bacteremia after hematopoietic stem cell transplant

We describe 3 cases of fatal but clinically unsuspected anerobic bacteremia amongst hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients treated empirically for fever and neutropenia with third or fourth generation cephalosporins. All patients had diarrhea but none had classical findings of neutropenic enterocolitis. HSCT recipients with fever, neutropenia and gastrointestinal tract symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhea or with septic shock despite broad spectrum antibiotics should receive an antimicrobial agent with anerobic activity.