Klebsiella Pneumonia

Excerpt

In 1882, Carl Friedlander described Klebsiella pneumoniae for the first time. He described it as an encapsulated bacillus after isolating the bacterium from the lungs of those who had died from pneumonia. Originally named Friedlander's bacillus, it was not until 1886 that the bacterium garnered the name Klebsiella. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative, encapsulated, non-motile bacterium found in the environment and has been associated with pneumonia in patient populations with alcohol use disorder or diabetes mellitus. The bacterium typically colonizes human mucosal surfaces of the oropharynx and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Once the bacterium enters the body, it can display high degrees of virulence and antibiotic resistance. Today, K. pneumoniae pneumonia is considered the most common cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia in the United States, and the organism accounts for 3% to 8% of all nosocomial bacterial infections.