LECLERCIA ADECARBOXYLATA INFECTIONS - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW

Leclercia adecarboxylata has been rarely isolated from environmental a nd clinical specimens. On review of the world literature, we found two reports of L. adecarboxylata infection: one report described a patien t with hepatic cirrhosis, and the other described a child dependent on total parenteral nutrition. L. adecarboxylata was isolated from five infected patients who were evaluated at our institution. Three patient s had lower-extremity wound infections in which L. adecarboxylata was part of a mixed microbial growth. One patient had pneumonia due to mul tiple bacteria, including L. adecarboxylata, which were isolated from sputum. L. adecarboxylata was isolated from the blood of one patient w ith neutropenia and from the blood of the two patients reported in the literature. All patients except one had fever and leukocytosis. L. ad ecarboxylata isolates were susceptible to all the antimicrobials teste d. L. adecarboxylata is most frequently isolated as part of a mixed mi crobial growth. Its role in these infections is not clear. However, th e organism caused bacteremia in three patients.