As of 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered to be a danger to patients when they are in the hospital. The bacterium has the potential to cause several types of infections. More importantly, it is becoming more resistant to antibiotics, especially to the ones called carbapenems.
Type
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram negative rod bacterium. Microbiologists use a staining process called a gram stain as one way to classify bacteria. Klebsiella is gram negative because it does not hold onto the first stain used in the gram stain process. Microbiologists call it "rod" because it has the shape of a rod.
Septic Shock
K. pneumoniae is usually found in the large intestines, water and soil. Approximately 10 percent of people who are healthy have the bacterium in their respiratory tract as well. This group of people may develop pneumonia caused by K. pneumoniae if their immune system becomes impaired. The bacterium has a large capsule which surrounds it and protects it from the cells of the immune system. The capsule is a gel which is made out of polysaccharides, or many saccharides (starches). K. pneumoniae also has a toxin, which microbiologists call an endotoxin because it is part of their cell wall. The endotoxin is made of lipopolysaccharides, or lipids (fats) and polysaccharides. The bacterium uses the endotoxin to cause septic shock.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Most pneumonia is caused by bacteria, especially by S. pneumoniae, but viruses can also cause this disease. The symptoms include chest pain, fever, chills, tachypnea (rapid breathing) and dyspnea (difficulty breathing). People usually cough quite a bit and cough up a lot of sputum, or phlegm. Sputum may have a particular color, depending on which bacterium is causing the pneumonia. According to the "Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology," Klebsiella causes a thick, bloody sputum. It is also called a "currant-jelly" sputum because of the way it looks. The pneumonia can lead to abscesses and necrotic (dead tissue) areas. Hemorrhaging in the necrotic areas causes the bloody sputum. Diabetics and the elderly who have a chronic lung disease or are alcoholics are especially prone to developing pneumonia from Klebsiella.
UTI
A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection that involves any part of the urinary tract: the urethra, urinary bladder, ureters or kidneys. Most UTIs are caused by bacteria and usually by E. coli, according to Merck.com, but Klebsiella can also cause UTIs. The symptoms can include frequent urination, pain with urination and a sense of needing to urinate urgently.
Sepsis
If Klebsiella enters the bloodstream, it can lead to sepsis, which is an infection and the system-wide response to that infection. Sepsis can progress to organ failure and septic shock. Klebsiella will use its endotoxin to cause septic shock. Symptoms include rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, an increase or decrease in body temperature, and mental confusion.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Overview of Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Merck: Bacterial Urinary Tract Infections
- Merck: Sepsis and Septic Shock
- "Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology"; Warren Levinson, M.D., Ph.D.; 2008
