title: Rhodotorula mucilaginosa outbreak in neonatal intensive care unit: microbiological features, clinical presentation, and analysis of related variables.
abstract: Reported here are the features of a Rhodotorula mucilaginosa outbreak that occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit. Over a period of 19 days, clinical and laboratory signs of sepsis appeared in four premature infants carrying indwelling vascular catheters. After bloodstream infection with R. mucilaginosa was ascertained, the patients underwent amphotericin B therapy and recovered completely. In a retrospective case-control study, the variables displaying a statistical difference between case and control-group neonates were birth weight, gestational age, duration of parenteral nutrition, duration of antibiotic therapy and prophylactic administration of fluconazole. To our knowledge, this is the first reported outbreak caused by yeasts of the Rhodotorula genus.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, V. Fazzi Regional Hospital, Piazza F. Muratore, 73100 Lecce, Italy. rperniola@hotmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perniola
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Faneschi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pizzolante
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sticchi Damiani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Longo
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012248:Rhodotorula / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B