Reactions 1377 - 12 Nov 2011

SSaccharomyces boulardii

Probiotic sepsis: case reportA 34-year-old woman developed probiotic sepsis

following administration of Saccharomyces boulardii [Ultra-Levure]. She subsequently died.

The woman was admitted to a burn ICU for thermalburns over 60% of her body area. She was administeredSaccharomyces boulardii 100mg three times daily though anasogastric tube for almost 2 months to improve herdigestive tolerance. Blood cultures identified a Candidaspecies infection on the 29th day after admission, and aKlebsiella pneumoniae infection on day 55. Duringhospitalisation, she underwent multiple operations for herburns, and 2 weeks after the last procedure, she developeda high fever.

The woman received antibacterials and supportivetherapy; however, her fever persisted and she developedseptic shock and multiple organ failure. She receivedamphotericin B liposomal, but she died on hospital day 98.Saccharomyces cerevisiae was identified from blood culturecollected on day 95.

Author comment: "In our case, we believe that intestinaltranslocation in the context of sepsis was the majormechanism for our patient’s fungaemia."Stefanatou E, et al. Probiotic sepsis due to Saccharomyces fungaemia in a criticallyill burn patient. Mycoses 54: e643-e646, No. 5, Sep 2011. Available from: URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0507.2010.01963.x - Greece 803062618

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Reactions 12 Nov 2011 No. 13770114-9954/10/1377-0001/$14.95 © 2010 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved