Burkholderia Cepacia Flashcards
What type of organism is Burkholderia cepacia?
A: Burkholderia cepacia is an aerobic, gram-negative bacillus commonly found in aquatic environments.
Where is B. cepacia often found in hospitals?
A: B. cepacia frequently colonizes fluids used in hospitals, such as irrigation solutions and intravenous fluids.
How virulent is Burkholderia cepacia?
A: B. cepacia is considered an organism of low virulence and rarely causes infections in healthy individuals.
Does Burkholderia cepacia usually infect or colonize?
A: B. cepacia almost always colonizes rather than infects, although it can be significant if found in normally sterile body fluids.
What is a potential risk of injecting an intravenous infusate containing high numbers of B. cepacia?
A: Direct injection into the bloodstream may result in gram-negative bacteremia.
Which patients have the highest mortality and morbidity rates from B. cepacia infection?
A: Patients with impaired pulmonary function, such as those with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, or chronic granulomatosis disease.
What are two independent predictors of mortality in B. cepacia infections?
A: Disease severity (Simplified Acute Physiology Score II) and age.
Which two factors are associated with high mortality rates at the onset of B. cepacia bacteremia?
A: Malignancy and a higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score.
How is Burkholderia cepacia classified and how does it differ from Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
A: B. cepacia is a nonfermentative, aerobic, gram-negative bacillus formerly classified as Pseudomonas, but unlike Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it has low virulence and limited ability to cause infections in humans.
Name one source of B. cepacia colonization related to hospital personnel.
A: Personnel can be a source of colonization through contaminated hands, antiseptic soaps, and hand lotion.
What are some sources of B. cepacia colonization associated with respiratory equipment?
A: Respirator tubing condensate, ultrasonic nebulizers, and inhalation medications.
What are urinary sources of B. cepacia colonization?
A: Indwelling urinary catheters, urometers, and irrigation solutions.
Are complications expected from B. cepacia colonization?
A: No complications are expected, as B. cepacia is normally a colonizer rather than an infectious agent.
What type of infection is B. cepacia commonly associated with in hospitalized patients with urinary catheters?
A: Catheter-associated bacteriuria.
When is antimicrobial treatment recommended for B. cepacia?
A: Antimicrobial treatment is only recommended if infection is proven, as B. cepacia is typically a colonizer.
