Bacteremia Caused byEggerthella lentain an Elderly Man with a Gastrointestinal Malignancy: A Case Report

Abstract

Eggerthella lentais an anaerobic, Gram-positive bacillus commonly found in the human digestive tract. Occasionally, it can cause life-threatening infections. Bacteremia due to this organism is always clinically significant and is associated with gastrointestinal diseases and states of immune suppression. The authors report a case involving an elderly man with a newly diagnosed gastrointestinal malignancy who developed bacteremia caused byE lenta, treated successfully using empirical therapy with vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam, followed by directed therapy with metronidazole once the identity and antibiotic susceptibility of the organism was established. The present case reinforces the connection betweenE lentabacteremia with gastrointestinal malignancy and highlights the importance of searching for a source of bacteremia due to this organism.