The aim of our study was to describe the characteristics of Xanthomona
s infections in a population of critically ill surgical patients. The
clinical records and microbiological data on 93 patients in a surgical
intensive care unit (SICU) developing Xanthomonas infections were rev
iewed. Xanthomonas was isolated in 125 sites in the 93 patients. Their
average age was 48 years (range, 14-94). Mortality occurred in 25 pat
ients (26.9%) versus 10.3 per cent of SICU patients in general (P < 0.
05). Patients were in the SICU for an average of 11.9 days before deve
loping a positive Xanthomonas culture, and 87 per cent (81/93) of pati
ents developed an infection at some other site before isolation of Xan
thomonas. Trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole was the only drug to which the
isolates were commonly sensitive (123/125 = 98.4%). We conclude that
Xanthomonas 1) is associated with increased mortality; 2) is resistant
to many of the drugs that usually cover Gram-negative infections; and
3) commonly complicates a prolonged intensive care stay, thus serving
as a marker for severity of illness.