Annals of Clinical Microbiology, The official Journal of the Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology
Case report

A Case of Hafnia alvei Peritonitis with Septicemia

Wonkeun Song, M.D., Taek-Kyung Kim, M.T., Min-Jeong Park, M.D., and Kyu Man Lee, M.D.

Department of Clinical Pathology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding to Wonkeun Song, E-mail: swonkeun@netsgo.com

Ann Clin Microbiol 2001;4(2):139-141.
Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.

Abstract

Hafnia alvei is gram-negative bacilli that is rarely isolated from human specimens and is rarely considered to be pathogenic. It has been associated with gastroenteritis, pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia, and nosocomial wound infections. But, no case of extraintestinal H. alvei infection was documented in Korea to our knowledge. A 50-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma was admitted to our hospital via emergecy department because of abdominal pain. The peritoneal fluid and 3 consecutive blood cutures yielded H. alvei. The organism was susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested, except cefazolin. Despite treatment with intravenous cefotaxime, the patient was expired after 4 days due to septicemia. (Korean J Clin Microbiol 2001;4(2):139-141)

Keywords

Hafnia alvei, Extraintestinal infection, Peritonitis, Septicemia