Chryseobacterium indologenes peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a vital treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
• PD-related peritonitis is a significant complication, potentially leading to PD technique failure.
• Chryseobacterium indologenes is an uncommon pathogen, typically causing infections in immunocompromised or critically ill patients.

Observation:

• A case of peritonitis caused by Chryseobacterium indologenes occurred in an ESRD patient undergoing PD outside of Asia.
• The patient presented with classic symptoms of peritonitis: abdominal pain and cloudy peritoneal effluent.
• The causative organism, C. indologenes, was identified in the peritoneal fluid.

Findings:

• The patient received intraperitoneal antibiotic therapy tailored to antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.
• Successful treatment allowed the patient to continue PD without Tenckhoff catheter removal.
• This highlights C. indologenes as a potential, albeit rare, cause of PD peritonitis.

Implications:

• Clinicians should consider rare pathogens like C. indologenes when diagnosing PD peritonitis.
• Prompt antimicrobial susceptibility testing is essential due to potential resistance to common antibiotics.
• Appropriate antibiotic selection is critical to prevent peritonitis progression and preserve PD function.