infectious diseases
HACEK Infections
Introduction
The HACEK group (Haemophilusspecies,Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans,Cardiobacterium hominis,Eikenella corrodens,Kingella kingae) includes weakly virulent, gram-negative organisms that primarily cause endocarditis. Treatment is with antibiotics. The HACEK group of nonmotile, gram-negative bacilli or coccobacilli contains a number of minimally pathogenic, slow-growing, fastidious genera. Their primary pathology is Infective Endocarditis in susceptible people; about 5% of endocarditis cases are due to this group, making them the most common causes of gram-negative bacilli endocarditis. The group consists of Haemophilusspecies (H. parainfluenza,H. aphrophilus, andH. paraphrophilus), which may cause respiratory infections or, less commonly, endocarditis in Actinomycosis None Cardiobacterium hominis Eikenella corrodens, which usually occurs in human bite wounds, endocarditis (often in IV drug users), brain and visceral abscesses, osteomyelitis, respiratory infections (including empyemas), uterine infections related to intrauterine devices, and mixed soft-tissue infections Kingella kingae Antibiotic sensitivities differ among species, so treatment should be directed by susceptibility testing. However, increasing beta-lactam resistance has madeceftriaxoneandampicillin/sulbactamthe current antibiotics of choice. 