Indwelling central venous catheter infection with Chryseobacterium shandongense - successful eradication in a 5-year-old with cystic fibrosis

Abstract

Introduction: Chryseobacterium shandongense is a Gram-negative Flavobacterium bacillus with intrinsic multidrug-resistant properties.

Case presentation: Herein, we present the first case report of human C. shandongense infection, relating to an implantable portal and catheter (port-a-cath) central line in a 5-year-old female with cystic fibrosis. The infection was identified using a Bruker MALDI-TOF Biotyper with BDAL (v12) of blood, which was cultured due to pyrexia and rigour following port-a-cath access. This report details the effective eradication of C. shandongense infection from the port-a-cath device using initial empirical gentamicin followed by targeted ciprofloxacin locks and systemic antibiotics.

Conclusion: We demonstrated successful eradication of C. shandongense from a port-a-cath device, including the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) required in this case. The result was eradication of central access infection, preventing progression to bacteraemia/septicaemia and preserving central access in a child with cystic fibrosis and established respiratory disease.

Keywords: Chryseobacterium shandongense; cystic fibrosis; port-a-cath infection.