Osteomyelits due to concurrent multi-drug resistance organisms is difficult to treat for any surgeon and infectious disease physician. An eleven-year-old boy presenting with an open fracture of the left radius and ulna after a fall in a stagnant wet field. Despite prophylactic antibiotics and surgical intervention, the open wound was infected, and Chromobacterium violaceum as well as Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated. He was treated with six weeks of parenteral cefepime and amikacin and was discharged upon clinical improvement. Unfortunately, chronic osteomyelitis set in with persistent sinus drainage. He then underwent a second procedure for debridement of the wound and Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated. Parenteral antibiotic therapy was initiated progressing with a marked improvement. However, the long course of antibiotics had exhausted the patient and his family, leading to a premature interruption of the parenteral antibiotic. Despite the suboptimal antibiotic course, there were no signs of relapsed osteomyelitis during subsequent review. The timely surgical intervention with appropriate sampling for subsequent microorganism isolation guided the suitability of the treatment line.
Elizabethkingia species are multi-drug resistant, Gram-negative bacteria that can adapt to different environmental conditions and rarely cause infections in humans but can be fatal among immunocompromised populations. We report our first experience of managing 2 pediatric patients infected with Elizabethkingia species. Over 12-months, 2 pediatric patients were infected with Elizabethkingia species in our hospital. They were both immunocompromised and were initially covered with broad spectrum antibiotics. Their conditions deteriorated and further investigations revealed the growth of Elizabethkingia species from the blood culture. Change of antibiotics was commenced and marked improvement was shown along the course of treatment. Both eventually completed the treatments and recovered remarkably well with no complications from the infections. However, colonization of the Elizabethkingia species was not identified on our environmental surveillance. Timely and appropriate anti-infectives and supportive management have shown marked improvement and disease curability in our patients who suffered from bacteremia and multiple liver abscesses.