Case Study: Fecal Transplant Clears K. Pneumoniae

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) cleared a carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) infection in a teenage girl, researchers said here. he was readmitted in November 2010 with persistent fever. She was finally diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Antibiotics were discontinued and she was treated with high-dose corticosteroids and etoposide, with initial clinical improvement. In January 2011 she developed a fever. Her blood culture grew K. pneumoniae which was carbapenemase-positive by the modified Hodge test. The test showed resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefazolin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, meropenem, and piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, tigecycline. She had intermediate resistance to gentamicin and doripenem. Despite administration of antibiotics with in vitro activity, her blood cultures remained persistently positive for the next 33 days. During that time she also developed septic arthritis of one shoulder and both hips. Searching for answers, "I cast myself upon the waters of the Internet -- and, lo, a wondrous group of consultants came forth to help," http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/IDWeek/48060?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2014-10-14&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=ST&eun=g721819d0r&userid=721819&email=amydugan2%40gmail.com&mu_id=5883165&utm_term=Daily%20B