Abstract
Late-onset sepsis (LOS; sepsis occurring after the first 72 h of life) increases the
morbidity and mortality of premature neonates, especially those with very low birth
weight (≤1,500 g). In LOS, Enterobacter cloacae has been rarely described as a cause of secondary brain abscesses. Our case report
summarizes important aspects of cerebral abscesses due to an E. cloacae sepsis in a preterm neonate. Our patient received surgical abscess drainage and rational
antibiotic treatment, employing prolonged meropenem infusions plus fosfomycin and
subsequent treatment with oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Furthermore, we present
a review of the current literature from 2009 to 2022, comparing cases similar to our
case.
Keywords cerebral abscesses -
Enterobacter cloacae
- neonatal sepsis - late-onset sepsis - antimicrobial resistance