Three cases of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia pneumonia

: We encountered 3 cases of pneumonia caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia between January and June 2001. S. maltophilia is resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics including carbapenem. Reported studies indicate that excessive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics may induce resistance in this organism. However, our data showed that there was no clear correlation between the amounts of carbapenems used in our hospital and the isolation of the organism. If broad-spectrum antibiotics are ineffective or even actually worsen a case of pneumonia, S. maltophilia may be the sole causative organism, and a potent double- (or triple-) combination therapy consisting of minocyclin and one or two other potent antimicrobial agents should be considered.