Clinical significance of Propionibacterium acnes recovered from blood cultures: analysis of 524 episodes

J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Apr;49(4):1598-601. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01842-10. Epub 2011 Feb 16.

Abstract

Of 522 patients with Propionibacterium acnes bacteremia (PAB), 18 (3.5%) had clinically significant PAB. Of these 18 patients, 10 (55.6%) had hospital-acquired bacteremia and 6 (33.3%) had undergone invasive procedures before development of PAB. One patient with a ventricular septal defect presented with infective endocarditis. After the exclusion of 1 patient whose outcome was not available, the overall mortality rate was 5.9% (1/17).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Bacteremia / diagnosis*
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Bacteremia / mortality
  • Blood / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / diagnosis*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / mortality
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Propionibacterium acnes / isolation & purification*
  • Propionibacterium acnes / pathogenicity