Infection and colonization by Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum : a 9-year observational study in a university central hospital

This study ’s purpose was to assess clinical significance, risk factors for infection and antimicrobial susceptibility ofC. pseudodiphtheriticum isolates. A retrospective observational study was conducted. Relevance of isolation was determined by clinical, laboratory, and imaging criteria. Forty-nine isolates occurred in 47 episodes. Colonization was assumed in 12% and infection in 78%, of which 51% were nosocomial. Patients with infection were older, with male predominance; both age and gender were statistically significant (p <  0.05) between infection and colonization groups. Although dyslipidemia (58%), arterial hypertension (58%), invasive procedures (56%), and chronic lung disease (50%) were prevalent in the infection group, no comorbidity was a significant risk factor for infection compared with colonization. Charls on comorbidity index showed no statistically difference between groups. Mortality rate was 14% in infection. Respiratory samples were the main isolation product; all tested strains were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanate and vancomycin. Resistant strains were observed for clindamycin (77%) and e rythromycin (48%).C. pseudodiphtheriticum isolation was associated with infection in most cases. Despite the high prevalence of comorbidities and invasive procedures, no factors other than age and gender were significantly associated with infection. AlthoughC. pseudodiphtheriticum may constitute a contaminant or colonizer in clinical samples, positive c...
Source: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research