Antibiotics may predispose to lactobacillemia in liver transplant patients

Lactobacilli are ubiquitous inhabitants of the human oral cavity, vagina, and gastrointestinal tract, that are generally considered non-pathogenic. We retrospectively reviewed all positive blood cultures for Lactobacillus species (sp.) from liver transplant recipients at our institution. Eight cases of lactobacillus bacteremia were identified. Selective bowel decontamination with non-absorbable oral antibiotics was administered to all patients. Additionally, all patients received intravenous vancomycin; most isolates exhibited either in vitro or in vivo vancomycin resistance. The biliary anastomosis in each patient was a Roux-Y choledochojejunostomy. The underlying clinical conditions included perihepatic abscesses in two patients, biliary strictures with either hepatic abscesses or infected bile in four, and heaptic infarctions with necrosis and infection of the liver in two. The use of selective bowel deontamination, intravenous vancomycin and Roux-Y choledochojejunostomy in liver transplantation patients may predispose to lactobacillemia.