Pulmonary & Respiratory Medicine

Serratia marcescens Causing Pneumonia - A Rare Case Report

Abstract

Rajashree Panigrahy

Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic, gram negative, nosocomial pathogen which belongs to family, Enterobacteriaceae. It was originally considered to be an innocuous, non-pathogenic, saprophytic water organism. The main risk factors for bacteraemia/sepsis which is caused by Serratia is hospitalization, placement of intravenous catheters, intraperitoneal catheters and urinary catheters and prior instrumentation of the respiratory tract. An important characteristic is its ability to produce a beta-lactamase which confers resistance to the broad spectrum beta lactam antibiotics, which often complicates the therapy. Here we present a case of pneumonia caused by Serratia marcescens in a 3 year old child, without having any significant predisposing factors.