Eikenella corrodensSepsis with Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis in a Very Low Birth Weight Neonate

Abstract

We report a case of Eikenella corrodens sepsis associated with CSF pleocytosis in a very low birth weight neonate. A 1000-gram male neonate was born at 27-week gestation due to preterm labor. The patient presented with signs and symptoms of sepsis and was treated for suspected meningitis with intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin for 7 days, with cefotaxime added for three weeks. He had a normal brain MRI at discharge and normal development at 6 months of life. To our knowledge, this is the first case of E. corrodens sepsis and associated meningitis in a very low birth weight neonate.

Youngest survivor of perinatal infection by Eikenella corrodens : case analysis and literature review highlighting the merits of placental swab culture

“…Early-onset neonatal sepsis is one of the most important causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Eikenella corrodens is a rare cause of early-onset neonatal sepsis with only seven case studies previously described in English literature [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] .…”

“…Eikenella corrodens cases documented in the literature to-date describe babies born at a mean age of 30 weeks of gestation [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] . Five of seven babies improved clinically with antimicrobial therapy and had a favourable outcome.…”

“… [5] None 37.8°C, premature labour, CRP 105, positive placental cultures Not documented 30 weeks 1800 g RDS, infectious alveolitis, hypotension, tachycardia, neonatal jaundice, positive gastric aspirates Cefotaxime (10 days) and Gentamicin (2 days) Favourable Sawyer et al. [10] None Premature labour, mother otherwise well Single dose ampicillin 1 h before delivery 27 weeks 1000 g RDS, WBC 4800/mm 3 , blood cultures positive, CSF WBC 990/mm 3 Ampicillin and gentamicin (7 days) and cefotaxime (21 days) Infant survived and improved clinically on antimicrobial therapy. This study None reported Hx chorioamnionitis in previous pregnancy, WBC 9.05 × 10 9 /L, CRP 310, preterm labour IV Benzylpenicillin 6 h before delivery 24 +6 weeks 570 g Raised CRP 25, positive placental cultures Benzylpenicillin (7 days) and Cefotaxime (5 days) Favourable Abbreviations: ANC, absolute neutrophil count; CRP, C-reactive protein; IV, intravenous; RDS, respiratory distress syndrome; WBC, white blood cell count.…”

“…Less commonly, it has been known to be a contributing agent in meningitis, endocarditis, head and neck infections, intra-abdominal infections and gynaecological infections [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] . Association of E. corrodens infection with preterm labour, chorioamnionitis and early neonatal mortality has been reported [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] .…”

Eikenella exigua sp. nov., isolated from brain abscess and blood

“…The first case studies of patients infected with E. corrodens were reported in the 1960s and 1970s [6]. In addition to bite wounds and soft tissue infections among injection drug users, E. corrodens has been isolated from various clinical sites including brain, liver, lung, bone, joints and the genitourinary tract [4,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. It is often found in polymicrobial purulent infections together with other members of the oropharyngeal microbiota [9].…”