Infectious Disease Compendium

Achromobacter

Microbiology

Gram-negative rod, a non-fermenter. Achromobacter xylosoxidans (most common human isolate), A. xylosoxidans denitrificans, A. piechaudii, A. ruhlandii, A. insolitus and A. spanius. Some used to be called Alcaligenes.

Epidemiologic Risks

Found in soil and water.

Syndromes

Soft tissue infection after trauma, surgery (isn't that trauma?) and in vasculopaths (most often from a foot ulcer) (PubMed). I love the abstract: "The clinical outcome of the patients was uniformly good after antibiotic treatment, except in 4 patients who suffered recurrence of the infection." So it wasn't uniformly good, now was it?

Bacteremia and other nosocomial infections in the immunoincompetent, increasingly reported in cystic fibrosis.

Treatment

Carbapenems, antipseudomonal penicillins (piperacillin), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Resistance to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, aminoglycosides, and monobactams are common.

Notes

A. eurydice is associated with European foulbrood disease in honeybees (Pubmed).

Curious Cases

Relevant links to my Medscape blog

UnWell

Last update: 12/05/19