Clinical and laboratory aspects of Moraxella catarrhalis bacteremia in children.

Moraxella catarrhalis is an uncommon cause of bacteremia in children. We present 17 children with M. catarrhalis bacteremia. Most patients were <2 years old (76.4%), immunocompetent (82.3%), and had concomitant lower respiratory symptoms (76.5%). Moraxella catarrhalis bacteremia occurs in young immunocompetent children and is frequently associated with lower respiratory tract symptomatology.