Abstract

An 80-year-old man was urgently hospitalized by septic shock due to Serratia marcescens enteritis. The patient had recovered from shock state and been well by antibiotics therapies, but suddenly had a body temperature of 39°C and complained of a lower back pain on the 21st day of hospitalization. Again, Serratia marcescens was isolated from blood culture. A Computed tomography scan examination showed lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis between the levels of L2 and L4 and abscesses in bilateral iliopsoas muscles. He had treatments with intravenous antibiotics for 6 weeks until discharge and followed by 12 weeks of oral antibiotics as an outpatient. This is the first case report of lumbar vertebral osteomyelitis following community acquired Serratia marcescens bacteremia due to enteritis.