Providencia stuartii infections: a review of 117 cases over an eight year period

Abstract Between 1972 and 1979 specimens from 241 patients grew Providencia stuartii . Details of 117 cases are reported. Most (77) of these were from urinary tract infections in male patients, over 30 years old (55) with some underlying urological disorder particularly prostatic hypertrophy and undergoing catheterization. In mixed infections (44) proteus was the most common species associated with Prov. stuartii . Escherichia coli was uncommon in comparison. Skin infections (37) occurred in burns and post-operative patients, and were mostly (31) mixed, with proteus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as the most commonly associated Gram-negative rods. Three strains of Prov. stuartii were also cultured from sputa. Five cases of septicaemia occurred during the eight years reviewed with only one patient surviving. Isolates were mostly resistant to ampicillin, carbenicillin and gentamicin. Most (77117) were sensitive to kanamycin and all sensitive to amikacin and cefuroxime. Serological data showed one strain type accounting for 60% of the 117 isolates.