Successful treatment of Pseudomonas cepacia endocarditis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole

A patient with a history of alcoholism and drug abuse who developed Pseudomonas cepacia endocarditis is described. The organism was found to be resistant in vitro to all common antimicrobial agents except chloramphenicol and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Treatment failed with penicillin and streptomycin and later with chloramphenicol. Orally administered trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, however, resulted in sterilization of the patient's blood and aortic valve which was resected 27 days after the start of therapy. A 6-week course of therapy was completed and, to date (6 months after treatment), there has been no recurrence.