Pseudomonas and Related Infections

In burns, the region below the eschar can become heavily infiltrated with organisms, serving as a focus for subsequent bacteremia—an often lethal complication.

Deep puncture wounds of the foot are often infected by P. aeruginosa. Draining sinuses, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis is inflammation and destruction of bone caused by bacteria, mycobacteria, or fungi. Common symptoms are localized bone pain and tenderness with constitutional symptoms (in acute... read more may result. Drainage from puncture wounds often has a sweet, fruity smell.

Folliculitis Folliculitis Folliculitis is an infection of hair follicles. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment is with topical clindamycin. (See also Overview of Bacterial Skin Infections.) The etiology of folliculitis is... read more acquired in hot tubs is often caused by P. aeruginosa. It causes an itchy pustular rash around hair follicles.

Acute external otitis External Otitis (Acute) External otitis is an acute infection of the ear canal skin typically caused by bacteria (Pseudomonas is most common). Symptoms include pain, discharge, and hearing loss if the ear canal... read more (swimmer's ear), which is common in tropical climates, is the most common form of Pseudomonas infection involving the ear. A more severe form, referred to as malignant external otitis Malignant External Otitis Malignant external otitis, also referred to as skull base osteomyelitis or necrotizing otitis externa, is typically a Pseudomonas osteomyelitis of the temporal bone. Methicillin-resistant... read more , can develop in diabetic patients. It is manifested by severe ear pain, often with unilateral cranial nerve palsies, and requires parenteral therapy.

Ecthyma gangrenosum is a skin lesion that occurs in neutropenic patients and is usually caused by P. aeruginosa. It is characterized by erythematous, centrally ulcerated, purple-black areas about 1 cm in diameter occurring most often in moist areas such as the axillary, inguinal, or anogenital areas. Ecthyma gangrenosum typically occurs in patients with P. aeruginosa bacteremia.

P. aeruginosa is a frequent cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) develops at least 48 hours after hospital admission. The most common pathogens are gram-negative bacilli and Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic-resistant... read more . In HIV-infected patients, Pseudomonas most commonly causes pneumonia or sinusitis.

Pseudomonas bronchitis is common late in the course of cystic fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease of the exocrine glands affecting primarily the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. It leads to chronic lung disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency... read more . Isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis have a characteristic mucoid colonial morphology and result in a worse prognosis than nonmucoid Pseudomonas.

Pseudomonas is a common cause of nosocomial urinary tract infection Introduction to Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be divided into upper tract infections, which involve the kidneys ( pyelonephritis), and lower tract infections, which involve the bladder ( cystitis), urethra... read more , especially in patients who have had urologic manipulation or obstructive uropathy. Pseudomonas commonly colonizes the urinary tract in catheterized patients, especially those who have received broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Ocular involvement generally manifests as corneal ulceration, most often after trauma, but contamination of contact lenses or lens fluid has been implicated in some cases.

Rarely, Pseudomonas causes acute bacterial endocarditis Infective Endocarditis Infective endocarditis is infection of the endocardium, usually with bacteria (commonly, streptococci or staphylococci) or fungi. It may cause fever, heart murmurs, petechiae, anemia, embolic... read more , usually on prosthetic valves in patients who have had open-heart surgery or on natural valves in IV drug abusers.

Many Pseudomonas infections can cause bacteremia Bacteremia Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. It can occur spontaneously, during certain tissue infections, with use of indwelling genitourinary or IV catheters, or after dental... read more . In nonintubated patients without a detectable urinary focus, especially if infection is due to a species other than P. aeruginosa, bacteremia suggests contaminated IV fluids or drugs or antiseptics used in placing the IV catheter.

Hot-tub folliculitis resolves spontaneously and does not require antibiotic therapy.

External otitis is treated with 1 to 2% acetic acid irrigations or topical drugs such as ciprofloxacin, polymyxin B, or colistin. More severe infection is treated with fluoroquinolones if susceptible.

Focal soft-tissue infection may require early surgical debridement of necrotic tissue and drainage of abscesses in addition to antibiotics.

Small corneal ulcers are treated with ciprofloxacin 0.3% or levofloxacin 0.5%. Fortified (higher than stock concentration) antibiotic drops, such as tobramycin 15 mg/mL, are used for more significant ulcers. Frequent dosing (eg, every 1 hour around the clock) is necessary initially. Eye patching is contraindicated because it produces a dark warm environment that favors bacterial growth and prevents administration of topical drugs.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria is not treated with antibiotics, except during pregnancy and before urologic manipulation. Patients with symptomatic urinary tract infections can often be treated with oral levofloxacin 750 mg once a day or oral ciprofloxacin 500 mg 2 times a day, if the strain is susceptible.

Parenteral therapy is required. Recently, single drug therapy with an active antipseudomonal beta-lactam (eg, ceftazidime) or a fluoroquinolone has been shown to produce outcomes equivalent to those of previously recommended combination therapy with an aminoglycoside plus an antipseudomonal beta-lactam, an antipseudomonal cephalosporin (eg, ceftazidime, cefepime, cefoperazone), a monobactam (eg, aztreonam), or a carbapenem (meropenem, imipenem, doripenem). Such single-drug therapy is also satisfactory for patients with neutropenia.

Right-sided endocarditis can be treated with antibiotics, but usually the infected valve must be removed to cure an infection involving the mitral, aortic, or prosthetic valve.

P. aeruginosa resistance may occur among patients treated with ceftazidime, cefepime, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, meropenem, imipenem, or doripenem. Older antibiotics (eg, colistin) may be required to treat infections involving multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas species. Ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, meropenem/avibactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, imipenem/relebactam, and cefiderocol maintain activity against many multidrug-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa.