Abstract
Legionella pneumonia occurred in five liver transplant recipients at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center during a nosocomial outbreak. Patients presented with fever, nonspecific constitutional symptoms, and either unilateral or bilateral infiltrates developing 3-12 weeks after transplantation. Treatment with either erythromycin (four cases) or ciprofloxacin (one case) was successful in three of five patients. Boluses of corticosteroids and prolonged postoperative intubation were significant risk factors for pneumonia. Contamination of the hospital water distribution system with Legionella species (>5 x 105 organisms per liter) was the likely source of infection. Hyperchlorination and superheating of the hospital water and preventing transplant recipients from consuming hospital water or showering have successfully eliminated legionella infection from additional patients.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 109-113 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1993 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases