Non-enteritic aeromonas infections in hospitalized patients

Aeromonas species were isolated from specimens other than faeces from 59 hospital inpatients over a 15 year period. Of the isolates, 79.7% were regarded as clinically significant, with skin and soft tissues and blood cultures as the commonest sites of infection. Of the isolates, 52.5% were hospital-acquired, and 55.9% of patients had serious underlying disease. Community-acquired infections in previously healthy individuals accounted for only 13.6% of isolates. However unlike many other opportunistic infections, aeromonas infection was not closely associated with prior antibiotic therapy, nor was there a significant increase in the frequency of infection over the study period.