Central line associated bloodstream infection caused by Kodamaea ohmeri in a young child

Kodamaea ohmeri, a yeast frequently mistaken for Candida, has emerged in recent years as an opportunistic fungal pathogen, showing a predilection towards patients with immunosuppression, or those with long-term central venous access. This report describes a central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) due to K. ohmeri, in a young child, which was successfully treated.

The patient is a 5-year-old male with a history of short gut syndrome, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) dependence who presented to the emergency room with a two-day history of productive-cough, rhinorrhea, and fever. Antibiotic therapy was initiated with cefepime and vancomycin for suspected CLABSI. However, within the first twenty-four hours of his admission, his initial blood culture from his central venous catheter became positive for yeast so fluconazole was added due to suspicion of candidemia. During his admission, his initial central line and peripheral blood culture were later speciated as Kodamaea ohmeri, with susceptibilities to fluconazole (MIC: 4 μg/mL) and micafungin (MIC: 0.125 μg/mL). After evaluating the susceptibilities, he was transitioned to micafungin.

This case report further acknowledges that while rare, K. ohmeri is an emerging pathogen that has the potential to be life threatening if not accurately identified and treated with the optimal, empiric antifungal therapy. Due to potentially high mortality and antifungal resistance, this yeast species should be on the differential in patients that present with a central venous catheter and/or other underlying risk factors. Favorable outcomes can be achieved by removing indwelling catheters and administering optimal antifungal therapy.