Clinical and microbiological analysis of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica bacteremia in adult patients in Taiwan

A limited number of reports have documented bacteremia caused by Elizabethkingia meningoseptica (Chryseobacterium meningosepticum) in adults. Most cases have occurred in Taiwan. This study investigated the clinical features and risk factors for mortality from E. meningoseptica bacteremia and the antimicrobial susceptibilities of the isolates. Patients with E. meningoseptica bacteremia were retrospectively analyzed at a medical center/teaching hospital in northern Taiwan over a 3-y period. We analyzed clinical features and outcomes of patients and antimicrobial susceptibilities and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) results of the isolates. 28 patients had nosocomial bacteremia and 4 patients had healthcare associated bacteremia. The isolates exhibited variable susceptibilities to levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin-tazobactam, tigecycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. PFGE demonstrated that most isolates were epidemiologically unrelated. The 28-d mortality rate was 41%. Multivariate analysis indicated that shock and use of inappropriate antibiotics were independent risk factors for mortality. In conclusion, nosocomial bloodstream infection due to E. meningoseptica is an increasing problem in Taiwan. Our study indicates that patients with E. meningoseptica bacteremia face poor prognoses, with shock and use of inappropriate antibiotics as the main risk factors for mortality. Further clinical study is needed to establish the optimal therapy for E. meningoseptica bacteremia.