infectious diseases
Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Serratia Infections
Introduction
The gram-negative bacteriaKlebsiella,Enterobacter, andSerratiaare closely related normal intestinal flora that rarely cause disease in normal hosts. Diagnosis is by culture. Treatment is with antibiotics. Infections withKlebsiella,Enterobacter, andSerratiaare often hospital-acquired and occur mainly in patients with diminished resistance. These three bacteria can cause a wide variety of infections, including bacteremia, surgical site infections, intravascular catheter infections, and respiratory or urinary tract infections that manifest as pneumonia, cystitis, or pyelonephritis and that may progress to lung abscess, empyema, bacteremia, and sepsis, as in the following: Klebsiellapneumonia, a rare and severe disease with dark brown or red currant–jelly sputum, lung abscess formation, and empyema, is most common among people with diabetes and people with an alcohol use disorder. Serratia, particularlyS. marcescens, has greater affinity for the urinary tract. Enterobactermost often cause nosocomial infections but can cause otitis media, cellulitis, and neonatal sepsis. Diagnosis is by culture of blood and/or other infected tissue. Susceptibility testing is also done. 