Predisposing Factors and Antibiotic Use in Nosocomial Infections Caused by Xanthomonas maltophilia

The gram-negative bacillus Xanthomonas maltophilia has become an increasingly important pathogen in nosocomial infections. Colonization and infection with the organism often occurs in patients with impaired host defense mechanisms, indwelling catheters, and tracheostomies, and is associated with certain surgical procedures.'-4 Recent reports describing an association between prior antimicrobial therapy, in particular imipenem, and infection with X ma/tophi/ia7 led us to investigate risk for this infection at our institution.