Listeria grayi : vancomycin‐resistant, gram‐positive rod causing bacteremia in a stem cell transplant recipient

• Published in: Transplant infectious disease 2010-12, Vol.12 (6), p.526-528
• Main Authors: Salimnia, H., Patel, D., Lephart, P.R., Fairfax, M.R., Chandrasekar, P.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Ampicillin - therapeutic use; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; bacteremia; Bacteremia - microbiology; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Female; Humans; Listeria - classification; Listeria - drug effects; Listeria - isolation & purification; Listeria grayi; Listeriosis - microbiology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; stem cell transplant; Stem Cell Transplantation - adverse effects; Treatment Outcome; Vancomycin - pharmacology; Vancomycin - therapeutic use; vancomycin resistant; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1398-2273; 1399-3062
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3062.2010.00539.x

H. Salimnia, D. Patel, P.R. Lephart, M.R. Fairfax, P.H. Chandrasekar. Listeria grayi: vancomycin‐resistant, gram‐positive rod causing bacteremia in a stem cell transplant recipient
Transpl Infect Dis 2010: 12: 526–528. All rights reserved : We report the first case of Listeria grayi bacteremia in a stem cell transplant recipient. The patient developed bacteremia with a gram‐positive rod that was initially thought to be Corynebacterium species and a skin contaminant. The organism grew in multiple blood cultures and therapy with vancomycin was initiated. The API Coryne (version 3.0) identified the organism as L. grayi. Susceptibility testing by Etest suggested that the organism was resistant to vancomycin, but susceptible to ampicillin. After therapeutic change from vancomycin to ampicillin, the bacteremia cleared. Empiric therapy with vancomycin for all gram‐positive bacterial infections is not appropriate. Accurate identification and antibiotic susceptibility is important, particularly in those with persistent bacteremia.