title: Ralstonia pickettii bloodstream infections at a Brazilian cancer institution.
abstract: We describe a series of Ralstonia pickettii bloodstream infections (BSI) that occurred in 19 oncohematologic patients admitted to a hospital for patients with cancer, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, from July 1999 to February 2006. Fifty-four R. pickettii isolates were recovered from blood and catheter-tip specimens (1-5 isolates per patient). Two patients eventually died of causes unrelated to R. pickettii BSI. Eight pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotypes were resolved (A-H), with two detected in more than 1 patient: genotype B, in 2 patients (1.5%), and E, in 12 patients (63.2%). R. pickettii emerged as a new pathogen at our institution, causing at least one outbreak. Cross-transmission of the pathogen, infusion of a putative contaminated intravenous solution, and persistent colonization of medical devices were the likely sources of R. pickettii BSI.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Cidade Universitária, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia L P C
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schirmer
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: Lúcia M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de Faria
authors.forename: Kátia R N
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Beatriz Meurer
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D002404:Catheterization; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049920:Ralstonia pickettii / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004269:DNA, Bacterial