Miscellaneous gram-positive organisms

Abstract

The pediococci are gram-positive bacteria that grow in pairs and tetrads and belong to the lactic acid bacteria group. They are used extensively in industry to ferment cheese and other dairy products, soy products, and alcoholic beverages, and they are normal inhabitants of the human gastrointestinal tract. Of the 13 species of pediococci, only Pediococcus acetolactic and P. pentosaceus are typically found in sugar-rich foods, and these have been identified as human pathogens. Recently, pediococci have been increasingly recognized as a cause of bacteremia, endocarditis, and pneumonitis in the immunocompromised host. The chapter discusses risk factors for Pediococcus infections that include prior antibiotic therapy, abdominal surgery, and gastric feeding. The chapter further discusses the testing, evaluation, and treatment of patients presenting with possible pediococcal disease.