Serratia marcescens in the neonatal intensive care unit: re-emphasis of the potentially devastating sequelae.
BACKGROUND
It is known that infections with Serratia marcescens can take a progressive course in preterm infants and that meningoencephalitis with this pathogen exhibits an extremely bad neurologic prognosis.


RESULTS
We report on five cases of septicemia with Serratia marcescens in preterm infants during a nosocomial outbreak. Three patients developed meningoencephalitis with brain abscesses. Mild clinical and laboratory findings of infection contrasted with destructive findings on MRI scan. All five patients survived, those with isolated bacteremia without neurologic sequelae.


CONCLUSIONS
When Serratia marcescens is isolated from any source in a neonatal intensive care unit, preventive measures including strict hygiene and cohorting of infants must be implemented immediately since this pathogen seems to exhibit specific affinity for the central nervous system and Serratia marcescens meningoencephalitis takes a progressive and destructive course despite antibiotic therapy.
Berger
Angelika
A
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. angelika.berger@akh-wien.ac.at
Rohrmeister
Klaudia
K
Haiden
Nadja
N
Assadian
Ojan
O
Kretzer
Veronika
V
Kohlhauser
Christina
C
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents