Question

Three patients in a large hospital acquired infections of Bukholderia cepacia during their stay. All three patients received cryoprecipitate; it is prepared from blood that has been frozen in a standard plastic blood transfer pack. The transfer pack is then placed in a water bath to thaw. What is the probable origin of the infections? What characteristics of Burkholderia would allow it to be involved in this type of infection?

Answer 1

Bukholderia cepacia is a gram negative rod shaped bacteria, which causes respiratory tract infections in immunocompromised patients. B. cepacia is an opportunistic organism that can be found in soils and freely in the environment. This organism is resistant to most of the antibiotics and can also be found in intravenous infusion equipment, contaminated disinfectant solutions, inhalation medications, pressure transducer fluids, venous catheters etc.

B. cepacia is an aerobic organism that best grows a temperature of 30 to 35-degree centigrade. In this case, blood act as a good media for the growth of the organism, and the organism can replicate under moderate hot conditions. The organism may also present in the transfusion equipment. Due to the contaminated blood or due to the contaminated transfusing equipment, the three patients are infected.