Morganella morganii infections in a general tertiary hospital.
BACKGROUND
Morganella morganii is a commensal Gram-negative bacillus of the intestinal tract of humans and other mammals and reptiles. Few reports exist in the literature regarding infections caused by this organism.


METHODS
A retrospective study at the 650-bed University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece was performed during a 4-year period (2001-2004) to identify and analyze infections caused by M. morganii.


RESULTS
Twenty-four patients had M. morganii isolated from clinical specimens during the study period. Thirteen patients (54%) suffered from skin and soft tissue infections, five from pyelonephritis, three from female genital tract infections, one from pneumonia, one from gangrenous appendicitis, and one from tonsillitis. M. morganii was a constituent of polymicrobial infections in 14 patients (58%). The patients received various antibiotics, i.e., six patients received ciprofloxacin, four piperacillin/tazobactam, two amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, one ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, one ceftriaxone, one imipenem, and one cefuroxime monotherapy, whereas the remaining eight received antibiotic combinations. Two (both debilitated) of 24 patients (8%) died, despite antibiotic treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Skin and soft tissue infection was the commonest type of infection due to M. morganii in our series. M. morganii is commonly a part of polymicrobial infections and can rarely cause fatalities in debilitated patients.
Falagas
M E
ME
Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences, 9 Neapoleos Street, 151 23, Marousi, Athens, Greece. m.falagas@aibs.gr
Kavvadia
P K
PK
Mantadakis
E
E
Kofteridis
D P
DP
Bliziotis
I A
IA
Saloustros
E
E
Maraki
S
S
Samonis
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D020613:Morganella morganii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology