Lactobacillus bacteremia: description of the clinical course in adult patients without endocarditis

Lactobacillus bacteremia in the absence of endocarditis is a rare entity, and the clinical relevance of such bacteremia remains unclear. The clinical courses of lactobacillus bacteremia without endocarditis in 43 previously described patients and 12 new patients were reviewed. Bacteremia with Lactobacillus alone occurred in 34 (62%) of the patients, and 12 (22%) of the patients had bacteremia with other organisms, including Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus was isolated from another site in 18 (33%) of these patients. Intravenous catheter infections were not noted in these patients. Underlying conditions included cancer (6 patients), organ transplantation (9), diabetes mellitus (4), and recent surgery (12). Fever occurred in all patients, and eight (15%) of the patients experienced a sepsis syndrome. The mortality rate was 14%; however, only three deaths were attributed soley to lactobacillus sepsis. Lactobacillus bacteremia is an uncommon condition that usually occurs in patients with severe underlying illnesses and is frequently seen as a part of a polymicrobial infection. Blood cultures positive for Lactobacillus represent true infection and not contamination. Although resistance to commonly used antibiotics is common, the mortality rate associated with this bacteremia appears to be low.