Don Walter Kannangara,Dhyanesh Pandya,Roopa  Anmolsingh,
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Infections in Geriatric Patients
Gerontology and Geriatric Research
2020
2733-2292
http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.GGR.2020.02.05
https://www.sciencerepository.org/stenotrophomonas-maltophilia-infections-in-geriatric-patients_GGR-2020-2-105 
Abstract: We present Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections in 317 hospitalized patients in a large health network
over a 3-year period. The majority of patients were elderly. Most infections were polymicrobial: respiratory
95.2%, wound 91%, urinary 80.8% and blood 64.3%. Younger patients were small in number and were
more common in those with otitis externa, infections from injection drug use and those with line infections.
Most deaths were in patients with terminal conditions and polymicrobial infections and mortality could not
be directly attributed to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. None of the sputum, bronchial, urinary or wound
culture positive patients had positive blood cultures. Only blood (14/317) or ear (7/317) culture positive
patients had significant numbers of younger individuals with only 3 out of 14 over age 50 in blood culture
positive patients and 1/7 in those with otitis externa. Those with bacteremia included patients with injection
drug use, chronic pain syndromes and vascular catheter infections. 94% of urinary infections, 91.7% wound
infections and 85.8% respiratory isolates were in those above age 50. Overwhelming majority of urinary
infections were in males with drainage devices present in 75%. Recurrent infections were uncommon.
Respiratory specimens were frequently associated with tracheostomies and endotracheal tubes. Most wound
infections were in chronic lower extremity ulcers. Prior carbapenem use was not significant in this study.
Isolates from all sites were over 98% susceptible to Trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole.
Limitations: The study group only had 1 organ transplant and 2 cystic fibrosis patients and no burn wound
infections.Keywords: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, polymicrobial infections, attributable mortality, infections in elderly