Serratia infections in patients with neutropenia

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.
• Neutropenia, a condition characterized by a low neutrophil count, significantly increases the risk of severe bacterial infections.
• Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe clinical presentations and outcomes of sepsis caused by Serratia marcescens in neutropenic patients.
• To investigate the antibiotic resistance patterns of Serratia marcescens isolates from these patients.
• To identify effective antimicrobial agents for treating Serratia marcescens infections in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series analysis of six patients with neutropenia and Serratia marcescens sepsis.
• Clinical data collection including patient demographics, infection sites, and treatment outcomes.
• In vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing of isolated Serratia marcescens strains.

Main Results:

• Six cases of Serratia marcescens sepsis in neutropenic patients were identified.
• Four patients presented with additional upper respiratory and digestive tract involvement, including mucositis and laryngo-tracheo-bronchitis.
• All isolated strains exhibited broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance, with aztreonam and amikacin being the only effective agents in vitro.

Conclusions:

• Serratia marcescens can cause severe sepsis with significant upper respiratory and digestive tract complications in neutropenic patients.
• The emergence of multidrug-resistant Serratia marcescens strains poses a therapeutic challenge.
• Aztreonam and amikacin demonstrate in vitro activity against a broad spectrum of Serratia marcescens isolates and may be crucial for treatment.