Serratia marcescens Endocarditis

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Abstract
Serratia marcescens, a member of the gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae (Klebsiella-Enterobacter-Serratiagroup) has been regarded principally as a benign commensal microorganism of low pathogenicity. In fact, its disease producing potential has been considered so low that it has been used as a "marker" organism in human clinical experiments, the investigators taking advantage of its characteristic bright-red pigmentation for easy identification.1-3Scattered reports of human disease caused bySerratiahave appeared since the report of a chronic, nonfatal pulmonary infection by Woodward and Clarke in 1913.4Lane reported an instance of agranulocytosis and septicemia which resulted in the first death attributable toS marcescensin 1935.5In recent years, however, reports of infection with the organism have become more frequent, possibly related to its predilection for producing disease in chronically debilitated patients undergoing complex management.6Six patients with bacterial endocarditis have been described previously.7-12A seventh instance, to our knowledge, the first due