title: Community-acquired Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia: global differences in clinical patterns.
abstract: We initiated a worldwide collaborative study, including 455 episodes of bacteremia, to elucidate the clinical patterns of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Historically, community-acquired pneumonia has been consistently associated with K. pneumoniae. Only four cases of community-acquired bacteremic K. pneumoniae pneumonia were seen in the 2-year study period in the United States, Argentina, Europe, or Australia; none were in alcoholics. In contrast, 53 cases of bacteremic K. pneumoniae pneumonia were observed in South Africa and Taiwan, where an association with alcoholism persisted (p=0.007). Twenty-five cases of a distinctive syndrome consisting of K. pneumoniae bacteremia in conjunction with community-acquired liver abscess, meningitis, or endophthalmitis were observed. A distinctive form of K. pneumoniae infection, often causing liver abscess, was identified, almost exclusively in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chien
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: Anthanasia J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sagnimeni
authors.forename: Dennis S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Von Gottberg
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohapatra
authors.forename: Jose Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Casellas
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.forename: Lutfiye
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mulazimoglu
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trenholme
authors.forename: Keith P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Klugman
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Victor L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013577:Syndrome