Premium
GROUP JK DIPHTHEROID BACTEREMIA
Author(s) -
Heltberg OLE,
FriisMØLler ALICE,
Ersgaard HANS
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica series b: microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0108-0180
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1986.tb03054.x
Subject(s) - bacteremia , ampicillin , microbiology and biotechnology , gentamicin , antibiotics , daptomycin , vancomycin , medicine , biology , bacteria , staphylococcus aureus , genetics
A 71‐year‐old man with a permanent, subcutaneously implanted, intra‐cardial pacemaker suffered from prolonged bacteremia with an antibiotic‐susceptible group JK diphtheroid rod. He died in spite of the formation of specific serum antibody and parenteral treatment with ampicillin, cephradine and gentamicin. A second multi‐resistant, but otherwise similar group JK strain was isolated post‐mortem from the aseptically removed pacemaker electrode tip. The susceptible and the multi‐resistant strains differed antigenically in crossed immunoelectrophoresis assays, and fatty acid isomer patterns were dissimilar. The theory that a multi‐resistant group JK clone emerged by simple mutation in susceptible, indigenous group JK skin flora is rejected. The concept of major structural differences among group JK bacteria, possibly affecting cell‐wall permeability, is supported. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis is suggested as a means for strain comparison in epidemiological surveys. Vancomycin is regarded as the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of potentially fatal, deep‐seated infections.