Hafnia alvei. Respiratory tract isolates in a community hospital over a three-year period and a literature review.
In a retrospective review, a group of seven patients were found to have a sputum culture positive for Hafnia alvei. Hafnia alvei is a Gram-negative enteric and oropharyngeal bacillus and usually is nonpathogenic. All our patients had a chronic underlying illness and one of the patients was endotracheally intubated at the time of the isolation of this organism. Six of seven patients had other organisms isolated along with H alvei, and only one patient had a pure growth of H alvei confirmed by a culture obtained from a bronchoscopic protected brush specimen. All isolates displayed resistance to conventional antibiotics including cephalosporins and penicillins. Although rare, H alvei may be a potential pathogen in a patient with a chronic underlying illness.
Klapholz
A
A
Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Cabrini Medical Center, New York, New York 10003.
Lessnau
K D
KD
Huang
B
B
Talavera
W
W
Boyle
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology