Klebsiella bacteremia. A 10-year review in a cancer institution.

A total of 368 episodes of Klebsiella bacteremia occurred in 330 cancer patients, representing a rate of four episodes per 1000 hospital admissions. Eighty-eight percent of these infections were acquired nosocomically and 58% of the patients received antibiotics during the preceding 10-day period. There was pulmonary infection in 24% of the patients, shock in 25%, and disseminated intravascular coagulation in 7%. The overall response rate was 69%. Response rates were significantly lower among patients with shock (25% versus 83%), hemorrhage (29% versus 76%), and pneumonia (37% versus 79%). The combination of a cephalosporin plus an aminoglycoside produced the highest response rate (79%). Klebsiella sp continue to be an important cause of infection in patients with cancer.