INDWELLING DEVICE-RELATED AND RECURRENT INFECTIONS DUE TO AEROMONAS SPECIES

From October 1995 to February 1997, 13 isolates of Aeromonas species w ere recovered from four patients treated at National Taiwan University Hospital (Taipei). One of the patients, a diabetic, had simultaneous Aeromonas veronii biotype veronii bacteremia and A, veronii biotype so bria urinary tract infection. Seven weeks after the episode, the patie nt had necrotizing fasciitis due to A, veronii biotype veronii, The ot her three patients all had underlying hepatobiliary malignancies compl icated by obstructive jaundice, and all underwent percutaneous transhe patic cholangiographic drainage, These three patients had multiple iso lates of Aeromonas species (A. hydrophila and/or A. caviae) recovered from samples of blood or bile or from catheter insertion sites. All is olates were identified on the basis of the results of extended biochem ical tests as well as characteristic cellular fatty acid profiles. The results of genotyping generated by arbitrarily primed polymerase chai n reaction and of susceptibility testing showed that these Aeromonas s pecies were pathogens that caused indwelling device-related infections and that the organisms could persist for long periods, with subsequen t recurrence of severe infection, Concomitant infection due to more th an one Aeromonas species or caused by polyclonal A. hydrophila or A. v eronii biotype veronii was also documented.