[Pasteurella multocida pneumonia in a lupus patient: microbial identification with alveolar lavage fluid on blood culture medium].
BACKGROUND
Pasteurella multocida pneumonia mainly occurs in immunodepressed patients. Microbiological proof is difficult to obtain.


METHODS
A 36-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids developed pneumonia. She was given amoxicillin-clavulanate. Bronchioalveolar lavage fluid cultures on gelose were negative but Pasteurella multocida grew on blood culture medium.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the direct examination of bronchioalveolar lavage fluid demonstrated Gram negative coccobacilli, gelose cultures were negative, probably because of prior antibiotic therapy. The causal pathogen was only identified when BAL fluid was seeded on blood culture medium, allowing susceptibility tests and subsequent early adaptation of antibiotic therapy. This technique can be helpful in identifying the casual pathogen in microbial pneumonia.
Hazouard
E
E
Service de Réanimation médicale, CHU Bretonneau, Tours.
Ferrandière
M
M
Cattier
B
B
Mayelo
V
V
Vergnolle
F
F
Legras
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001790:Blood Physiological Phenomena; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D016979:Pasteurella multocida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D011859:Radiography
D003470:Culture Media
Pneumonie à Pasteurella multocida chez une patiente lupique. Identification microbiologique par l'ensemencement du liquide de lavage alvéolaire sur flacon à hémoculture.