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Book

Acinetobacter

Mark F. Brady  1 , Zohaib Jamal  2 , Najwa Pervin  3
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

Acinetobacter

Mark F. Brady et al.
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Excerpt

Acinetobacter is a gram-negative, aerobic, non-fermentative, oxidase-negative, and nonmotile organism. Acinetobacter has several species, but A. baumannii has the greatest clinical significance. Acinetobacter can be found in soil and water. Patients are frequently cultured from urine, saliva, respiratory secretions, and open wounds. The organism is also known to colonize intravenous fluids and other irrigation solutions.

In general, Acinetobacter has low virulence but is capable of causing infection in immunocompromised and neutropenic patients. Most of the infections are a result of nosocomial spread and colonization rather than de novo infections. Thus, great care is required when Acinetobacter is isolated - whether it is an actual infection or colonization. Risk factors for Acinetobacter infection include:

  1. Prolonged stay in the intensive care unit

  2. Prolonged antibiotic exposure

  3. Mechanical ventilation

  4. Use of a central venous catheter

  5. Hemodialysis

Most Acinetobacter infections are group outbreaks, and isolated cases are rare. Infections may complicate intravenous (IV) catheter treatment, mechanical ventilation, and even peritoneal dialysis. In most cases, the presence of Acinetobacter in the respiratory secretions of ventilated patients represents colonization.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Mark Brady declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Zohaib Jamal declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Najwa Pervin declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Wang T, Costa V, Jenkins SG, Hartman BJ, Westblade LF. Acinetobacter radioresistens infection with bacteremia and pneumonia. IDCases. 2019;15:e00495. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Antunes LC, Visca P, Towner KJ. Acinetobacter baumannii: evolution of a global pathogen. Pathog Dis. 2014 Aug;71(3):292-301. - PubMed
    1. Eze EC, Chenia HY, El Zowalaty ME. Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms: effects of physicochemical factors, virulence, antibiotic resistance determinants, gene regulation, and future antimicrobial treatments. Infect Drug Resist. 2018;11:2277-2299. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Munier AL, Biard L, Legrand M, Rousseau C, Lafaurie M, Donay JL, Flicoteaux R, Mebazaa A, Mimoun M, Molina JM. Incidence, risk factors and outcome of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii nosocomial infections during an outbreak in a burn unit. Int J Infect Dis. 2019 Feb;79:179-184. - PubMed
    1. Maragakis LL, Perl TM. Acinetobacter baumannii: epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and treatment options. Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Apr 15;46(8):1254-63. - PubMed

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