Fulminant Sepsis Caused by Leclercia adecarboxylata in a Premature Neonate: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections are especially evident in premature infants because of prolonged stays and the need for invasive procedures. Leclercia adecarboxylata is an uncommon emerging Gram-negative bacterium that has been described in catheter and noncatheter-related infections, immunocompromised patients and less frequently affecting healthy subjects. We report a case with a postmortem diagnosis of a 24-week-old premature neonate who died as a complication of nosocomial sepsis related to an infection by L. adecarboxylata. Although the cases of L. adecarboxylata infection in children have been rarely reported, this case appears to be the first in which an infection by L. adecarboxylata is accompanied by focal spontaneous ileal perforation.