Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pftt2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T15:27:26.357Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Agrobacterium radiobacter as a Cause of Pseudobacteremia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Anne-Marie Rogues*
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Jean Sarlangue
Affiliation:
Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Bertille de Barbeyrac
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Henri-Pierre Doerman
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Catherine Helmer
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Jean-Claude Labadie
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Christine Delfeau
Affiliation:
Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Boris Sandler
Affiliation:
Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Christiane Bebear
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Jean-Pierre Gachie
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
*
Hôpital Pellegrin, Place Amélie Raba-Leon, CHU de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France

Abstract

Agrobacterium radiobacter was isolated from 15 blood cultures collected from 15 newborns. Contamination of blood cultures was suspected because, in most cases, the babies' illnesses seemed incompatible with infection. A radiobacter was isolated from citrated tubes used for clotting-factor studies. Review of venipuncture technique revealed that occasionally the coagulation study tubes were being inoculated before the blood-culture bottles. This investigation demonstrated how an environmental source coupled with faulty technique caused a cluster of false-positive blood cultures.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Weinstein, RA, Stamm, WE. Pseudoepidemics in hospital. Lancet 1977;2:862864.Google Scholar
2. Edmond, MB, Riddler, SA Baxter, CM, Wicklund, BM, Pasculle, AW. Agrobacterium radiobacter: a recently recognized opportunistic pathogen. Clin Infect Dis 1993;16:388391.Google Scholar
3. Hulse, M, Johnson, S, Ferrieri, P. Agrobacterium infections in humans: experience at one hospital and review. Clin Infect Dis 1993;16:112117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Jumaa, PA, Chattopadhyay, B. Pseudobacteraemia. J Hosp Infect 1994;27:167177.Google Scholar
5. McNeil, MM, Davis, BJ, Anderson, RL, Martone, WJ, Solomon, SL. Mechanism of cross-contamination of blood culture bottles in outbreaks of pseudobacteremia associated with nonsterile blood collection tubes. J Clin Microbiol 1985;22:2325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Rathbone, PG, Sinickas, V, Humphery, V, Graves, S, Hellyar. Polymicrobial pseudobacteraemias associated with non-sterile sodium citrate blood collection tubes. J Hosp Infect 1993;25:297304.Google Scholar
7. Hoffman, PC, Arnow, PM, Goldmann, DA Parrott, RN, Stamm, WE, McGowan, JE. False-positive blood cultures: association with non-sterile blood collection tubes. JAMA 1976;236:20732075.Google Scholar
8. Simor, AE, Ricci, J, Lau, A, Bannatyne, RM, Ford-Jones, L. Pseudobacteremia due to Pseudomonas stuorescens . Pediatr Infect Dis 1985;4:508512.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Astagneau, P, Gottot, S, Gobin Bocquet, P, Gatignol, C, Jouvet, P, Brucker, G. Nosocomial outbreak of Enterobacter agglomerons pseudobacteraemia associated with non-sterile blood collection tubes. J Hosp Infect 1994;27:7374.Google Scholar
10. Luk, WK. An outbreak of pseudobacteremia caused by Burkholderia picketti: the critical role of an epidemiological link. J Hosp Infect 1996;34:5969.Google Scholar
11. Cetre, JC, Baratin, D, Tissot Guerraz, F. Septicémies nosocomiales et pseudobactériémies à Serratia marcescens . Presse Med 1988;17:12551258.Google ScholarPubMed
12. Dave, J, Springbett, R Padmore, H, Turner, P, Smith, G. Pseudomonas cepacia pseudobacteraemia. J Hosp Infect 1993;23:7273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Semel, JD, Trenholme, GM, Harris, AA Jupa, JE, Levin, S. Pseudomonas maltophilia pseudosepticemia. Am J Med 1978;64:403406.Google Scholar