Aerococcus bacteremia associated with granulocytopenia.

Two cases of bacteremic infection due to aerococci in granulocytopenic patients with acute leukemia and oral mucositis are described. Strains isolated from blood cultures of both patients were resistant to the antibiotics given orally for prophylaxis. One patient died in septic shock; surveillance cultures from oral washings in the other repeatedly showed high concentrations of aerococci. Aerococci were also isolated from surveillance cultures taken from 5 of 17 other patients with acute leukemia; however, their viable counts were lower than in the surviving patient.