title: Acute upper airway obstruction caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia soft tissue infection.
abstract: A previously healthy 71-y-old male developed acute upper airway obstruction caused by a Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection of the mucocutaneous and soft tissue of the neck. Ventilator support was provided via a small-calibre endotracheal tube. Stenotrophomonas was susceptible only to levofloxacin and cotrimoxazole. Antibiotic therapy rapidly improved the soft tissue oedema, allowing extubation and discharge from the intensive care unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. gbello.gb@libero.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alberto Pennisi
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fragasso
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mignani
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology*; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed