Abstract
Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) due to Alcaligenes faecalis are very rare and never have been studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical and microbiological characteristics of this infection. We carried out a retrospective review of 5 cases that occurred at our area over a period of 6 years. All patients had underlying diseases and the infection was secondary to vascular disease or recent surgery in 4 of them. The most common clinical presentation was infection of vascular ulcer and surgical site infection. The clinical outcome was uniformly good after treatment except in one patient. In conclusion, A. faecalis should be considered a potential pathogen of SSTI, especially in patients with vascular diseases or after surgery. The history of contact with water or aqueous solutions should be investigated in all cases. The clinical outcome is usually good but treatment can be difficult in some cases due to the high level of resistance to commonly used antibiotics.
