C. Soler

An 8-year survey of strains identified in blood cultures in a clinical haematology unit

The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological profile and the antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria and fungi identified from blood cultures in the patients of the clinical haematology unit. A retrospective study was carried out over an 8-year period (2003-2010) in the clinical haematology unit of the Percy Military Medical Center. During this period, we collected 723 isolates: Gram-negative bacilli (70.8%) and Gram-positive cocci (18.7%). The four most commonly isolated species were Escherichia coli (18.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14.8%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (6.2%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (5.4%). The rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was 6.45% and that of coagulase-negative staphylococci 61.2%. No resistance to glycopeptides was observed. In E. coli, as in the Klebsiella-Enterobacter-Serratia group, a 27% resistance to fluoroquinolones was observed. Concerning P. aeruginosa, the phenotypes were distributed over penicillinase (23.4%) and cephalosporinase (13.1% were resistant to ceftazidime). The impermeability rate of imipenem was 9.3%. The aggressiveness and duration of haematological treatments explains why infections remain one of the main complications of neutropenia. The emergence of new or unusual bacteria is highly likely. Antibiotic selective pressure and long periods of hospitalization could explain the emergence of multiresistant bacteria. As a consequence, epidemiological surveillance is indispensable.

Endocarditis and spondylodiscitis due to Neisseria elongata subsp. nitroreducens.

retrouvée dans le sperme, faisant évoquer un réservoir pros[3] Verstraelen H, Verhelst R, Vaneechoutte M, Temmerman M. The epidem tatique ou séminal. L’hypothèse d’une transmission sexuelle a d’ailleurs même été évoquée avec des controverses dans le sens de la transmission [3]. Son rôle pathogène chez l’homme est peu documenté. Elle a été associée à des infections urinaires chez des sujets ayant une pathologie urogénitale sous-jacente. es ue n de ade on à n le es ez a le, te té u ie la ur ye st oà nt

Infectious Mononucleosis and Monoclonal B Lymphocytosis in an Elderly Man

To the Editor: Infectious mononucleosis (IMN) is a clinical syndrome commonly associated with primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Primary EBV infection usually occurs in childhood or adolescence, and seroepidemiologic surveys indicate that more than 95% of adults worldwide are infected with EBV. Consequently, the diagnosis of IMN in older adults is uncommon and may be delayed. The case of an older adult hospitalized for an atypical presentation of IMN is reported.