Nosocomial alcaligenes xylosoxydans meningitis in a neonate due to use of a contaminated aqueous eosin solution. Two new case-reports.

Neonatal alcaligenes xylosoxydans infection is characterized by a low incid ence, possible nosocomial transmission, a severe infectious syndrome, diagn ostic and therapeutic difficulties, and a grim prognosis. Two cases of noso comial A. xylosoxydans meningitis caused in neonates by application of a co ntamined 2% aqueous eosin solution are reported. The organism was recovered in the cerebrospinal fluid samples from both patients and in the eosin sol ution. It was resistant to p-lactams and aminoglycosides but susceptible to imipenem and piperacillin. One of the patient died and the other developed hydrocephalus and developmental delay. These two cases highlight the sever ity of A. xylosoxydans infection in neonates and strongly support the use o f unit dose presentations for antiseptics.