ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Prevotella species is one of the major microoranism responsible for invasive anaerobic bacterial infection. This study was performed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcome of invasive Prevotella infection in a University affiliated, tertiary care Hospital. METHODS: We obtained the information from the computerized data base of the clinical microbiology laboratory from January 1997 to December 2000, and identified patients whose sterile clinical specimen culture had yielded Prevotella species. We then reviewed the patients' medical records, and studied demographic, clinical, and microbiologic data. RESULTS: The total of 34 patients with invasive Prevotella infection were enrolled for the analysis. Seventeen strains were isolated from blood, 13 from the pleural fluid, 5 from the ascites, and 1 from both the ascites and blood. Half of the cases of Prevotella infection were mixed-infection and 22 cases (64.7%) were of community origin. Twenty-six patients (76%) were men and the mean age was 59 years. Most common underlying disease was malignant neoplasms (19/34, 55.9%). A portal of entry could be determined in 29 patients (85.3%) with the most common being the respiratory tract (12/34, 35.3%), followed by the gastrointestinal tract (6/34, 14.4%), and the wound site (6/34, 14.4%). Surgical procedure was necessary for 21 cases (63.5%). One-month mortality was 32.3%. The mortality was significantly associated with the underlying chronic renal failure (p=0.028) and ICU care (p=0.002). Surgical therapy had a protective effect (54% vs 14%, p=0.022) CONCLUSION: Invasive Prevotella Infections were more prevalent among old age patients with underlying malignancy than younger people and frequently necessitated surgical procedure. Early surgical treatment would decrease mortality.