Abstract

Introduction: Capnocytophaga spp. is a Gram-negative bacillus, infrequently associated with infections in immunocompromised patients. Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics of patients with Capnocytophaga spp. bacteremia in a high-complexity hospital center. Methods: This was a retrospective observational case series study over a 10-year period. Results: Nine patients were identified, of whom six were women and three were men. The median age was 34 years (IQR 26-50). Seven out of nine patients had hematologic comorbidities and were undergoing chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy and presented with febrile neutropenia. The source of infection was oropharyngeal in five cases, associated with mucositis and/or periodontal involvement, and one case of bloodstream infection related to central venous catheter. The median time to blood culture positivity was 49,6 hours. Capnocytophaga sputigena was the only species identified. Eight patients received antibiotic therapy. Piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem being the most used, with median duration was 12 days (IQR 8,5-14). No patients died within 30 days. Discussion: Capnocytophaga spp. bacteremia was infrequent. The only documented species was C. sputigena. Most patients were oncohematologic, experiencing neutropenia. None of the cases died, and all showed good responses to antimicrobial therapy.