Multidrug-resistant Ewingella americana: a case report and review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and report a case of multidrug-resistant Ewingella americana associated with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
A 77-year-old female presented to her physician with shortness of breath and an initial assessment of pneumonia. Her past medical history included COPD, Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, recent Mycobacterium avium infection, and Crohn's disease. Blood and urine cultures revealed no growth; however, a sputum culture later revealed multidrug-resistant E. americana. The patient was ultimately treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), with complete resolution of symptoms following a 10 day course.


CONCLUSIONS
E. americana is a rare gram-negative bacillus that has infrequently been reported to cause infection. This organism has been reported in humans in the blood, sputum, conjunctiva, wounds, and peritoneal fluid. In several of these cases, as well as in our case, this organism appeared to occur more frequently in immunocompromised patients. Although generally susceptible to most antibiotics, our patient's organism was resistant to all antibiotics tested, with the exception of TMP/SMX, ticarcillin/clavulanate, and cefotetan.


CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, this is only the second case of an E. americana respiratory infection, and the only one in which multidrug resistance has been reported.
Pound
Melanie W
MW
School of Pharmacy, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC 27506, USA. mpound@capefearvalley.com
Tart
Serina B
SB
Okoye
Obiefuna
O
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole