A case of bacteremia by Achromobacter xylosoxidans in an immunocompromised host and review of literature

Achromobacter xylosoxidans is an uncommon nosocomial pathogen known to cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Long stays in critical care units often predispose to infection with this bacterium. A female patient, who is a known case of diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease, presented to the emergency department with complaints of shortness of breath, generalized swelling, decreased urine output for 7 days, and altered sensorium for 1 day. A. xylosoxidans was isolated from paired blood culture. She was managed according to the antibiotic susceptibility report and was improving when she left against medical advice due to personal issues. The objective of presenting this case report is to stress upon the importance of communication between the microbiologist and the clinician. Embracing automation in microbiology laboratories is essential to identify such novel bacterium in time to achieve clinical and microbiological cures.