Ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam as a therapeutic alternative in persistent Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteremia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2026.431.15393Keywords:
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, ceftazidime-avibactam, aztreonam, febrile neutropeniaAbstract
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection represents a therapeutic challenge in immunocompromised patients,
particularly during hematologic recovery after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The use of trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), the first-line antimicrobial therapy, is contraindicated due to its hematologic toxicity. We present the case of a patient who underwent haploidentical HSCT and developed two episodes of S. maltophilia bacteremia on days +20 and +49. Given the contraindication to TMP-SMX because of severe myelosuppression, a combination of ceftazidime–avibactam and aztreonam was used as alternative therapy, achieving clinical resolution in both episodes.The patient remained clinically stable until day +100; however, he subsequently developed graft failure and died on day +107 due to VIM-type carbapenemase–producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa.This case suggests that the combination of ceftazidime–avibactam plus aztreonam may be a useful therapeutic option for S. maltophilia infections in post-HSCT patients with contraindications to TMP-SMX.
Downloads
References
Saburi M, Oshima K, Takano K, Inoue Y, Harada K, Uchida N, et al. Risk factors and outcome of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: JSTCT, Transplant Complications Working Group. Ann Hematol. 2023;102(9):2507-16. doi: 10.1007/s00277-023-05320-4.
Brooke JS. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: an Emerging Global Opportunistic Pathogen. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2012;25(1):2-41. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00019-11.
Sezen AI, Ozdemir YE, Yeşilbağ Z, Borcak D, Canbolat Ünlü E, Bayrak Erdem F, et al. Seven-year evaluation of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteremia in a university-affiliated hospital. J Infect Dev Ctries.2025;19(4):498-503. doi: 10.3855/jidc.20243.
Kim S, Ji S, Cho D, Lee A, Jeong HS, Kim M, et al. Persistence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in Patients with Bacteremia: Incidence, Clinical and Microbiologic Characters, and Outcomes. Microorganisms. 2024;12(12):2477. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12122477.
Gil-Gil T, Martínez JL, Blanco P. Mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: a review of current knowledge. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2020;18(4):335-47. doi: 10.1080/14787210.2020.1730178.
Hinchliffe P, Calvopiña K, Rabe P, Mojica MF, Schofield CJ, Dmitrienko GI, et al. Interactions of hydrolyzed β-lactams with the L1 metallo-β-lactamase: Crystallography supports stereoselective binding of cephem/carbapenem products. J Biol Chem. 2023;299(5):104606. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107819.
Mojica MF, Papp-Wallace KM, Taracila MA, Barnes MD, Rutter JD, Jacobs MR, et al. Avibactam Restores the Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia to Aztreonam. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017;61(10):e00777-17. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00777-17.
Tamma PD, Heil EL, Justo JA, Mathers AJ, Satlin MJ, Bonomo RA. Infectious Diseases Society of America 2024 Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections. Clin Infect Dis. 2024;ciae403. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciae403.
Mendes ICM, Mamani RF, Coelho DRA, Pimentel C. Myelotoxicity and kidney dysfunction related to the use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for the treatment of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia: a case report of severe adverse events with a common drug. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2024; 66:e18. doi: 10.1590/S1678-9946202466018.
Duehlmeyer S, Meier E, Oermann C. Successful treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia with ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam in an individual with cystic fibrosis: A case report. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2025;60(1):e27363. doi: 10.1002/ppul.27363.
Gibb J, Wong DW. Antimicrobial Treatment Strategies for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: A Focus on Novel Therapies. Antibiotics (Basel). 2021;10(10):1226. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics10101226.
Biagi M, Lamm D, Meyer K, Vialichka A, Jurkovic M, Patel S, et al. Activity of Aztreonam in Combination with Avibactam, Clavulanate, Relebactam, and Vaborbactam against Multidrug-Resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020; 64(12):e00297-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00297-20.
Lin Q, Zou H, Chen X, Wu M, Ma D, Yu H, et al. Avibactam potentiated the activity of both ceftazidime and aztreonam against S. maltophilia clinical isolates in vitro. BMC Microbiol. 2021;21(1):60. doi: 10.1186/s12866-021-02108-2.
Isom CM, Fort B, Anderson GG. Evaluating Metabolic Pathways and Biofilm Formation in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. J Bacteriol. 2022;204(1):e0039821. doi: 10.1128/JB.00398-21.
Tamma PD, Heil EL, Justo JA, Mathers AJ, Satlin MJ, Bonomo RA. Infectious Diseases Society of America 2024 Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2024;ciae403. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciae403.
Registro Sanitario Productos Farmacéuticos [Internet]. [citado 18 de julio de 2025]. Disponible en: https://www.digemid.minsa.gob.pe/rsProductosFarmaceuticos/.
Petitorio Farmacologico Essalud [Internet]. IETSI. 2021 [citado 18 de julio de 2025]. Disponible en: https://ietsi.essalud.gob.pe/petitorio-farmacologico-essalud/.
Wong-So J, Magréault S, Carbonnelle É, Jullien V, Desgrouas M, Boulain T, et al. Aztreonam plus ceftazidime-avibactam for post-neurosurgical meningitis due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2025;e0017225. doi: 10.1128/aac.00172-25.
Sangiorgio G, Calvo M, Stefani S. Aztreonam and avibactam combination therapy for metallo-β-lactamase-producing gram-negative bacteria: A Narrative Review. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2025;31(6):971-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.11.006.
Sader HS, Duncan LR, Arends SJR, Carvalhaes CG, Castanheira M. Antimicrobial Activity of Aztreonam-Avibactam and Comparator Agents When Tested against a Large Collection of Contemporary Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Isolates from Medical Centers Worldwide. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020;64(11):e01433-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01433-20.
Vlaspolder GL, Hughes LA, Huis In ’t Veld RAG, Kampinga GA, Bathoorn E. Enhancement and Comparison of (Ceftazidime-)Avibactam Plus Aztreonam Susceptibility Tests for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in Clinical Diagnostics. Curr Microbiol. 2023;81(1):28. doi: 10.1007/s00284-023-03530-7.
Hsu AJ, Tamma PD. Case Commentary: Overcoming intrinsic resistance—the successful use of aztreonam and avibactam for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia meningitis. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2025;0(0):e00640-25. doi: 10.1128/aac.00640-25.
Diarra A, Pascal L, Carpentier B, Baclet N, Cabaret P, Georgel AF, et al. Successful use of avibactam and aztreonam combination for a multiresistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bloodstream infection in a patient with idiopathic medullary aplasia. Infect Dis Now 2021;51(7):637-8. doi: 10.1016/j.idnow.2021.01.014.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Wilder Bolaños-Vargas, Cesar Copaja-Corzo, Ivan Fernandez Vertiz, Alfredo Wong-Chang, Miriam Rut Baldeon Laureano

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


















