Clostridium tertium Bacteremia in a Patient with Febrile Neutropenia: Potential Benefit of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

We report a patient with febrile neutropenia who developed Clostridium tertium bacteremia while receiving empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy. The aerotolerance of C. tertium can result in its misidentification, thereby delaying diagnosis and the administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Such delays in high-risk oncology patients, especially those with febrile neutropenia, could result in serious complications and adverse outcomes. C. tertium was rapidly and reliably identified by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: news