<i>Kocuria rosea</i> bacteremia: two case reports and a literature review

Abstract

IntroductionKocuria rosea (K. rosea) is a gram-positive, aerobic, coagulase-negative coccoid that is generally considered as a non-pathogenic commensal. Infection from K. rosea is rare, and only limited number of case reports have been described. We aimed to investigate the clinical course and outcome of bacteremia caused by Kocuria rosea.Material and methodsWe reviewed and analyzed two cases of K. rosea bacteremia occurred at Istanbul Florence Nightingale Hospital and cases of this infection in published reports. The National Library of Medicine MEDLINE database was queried using the key terms “kocuria rosea, and kocuria rosea bacteremia" to identify published cases of K. rosea bacteremia.ResultsIn addition to our two cases, three cases of K. rosea bacteremia have been reported in the literature. The two infections occurred in our instutition were ICU-acquired. The first patient was that of a 89-year-old man, who was admitted to the ICU due to respiratory distress and pulmonary edema. The second patient was 64-year-old women with chronic renal failure, who was admitted to the ICU due to respiratory failure and hemodynamic instability. All five patients had succesful outcome.ConclusionsAlthough bacteremia due to K. rosea remains rare, and the organism is generally considered to be nonpathogen, it should be considered pathogen in both nosocomial and community acquired infections.