From Harmless Commensal to Invasive Pathogen

Abstract

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are constituents of the normal microflora of the skin, but they are also capable of harming patients who have benefited from medical innovations such as cerebrospinal fluid shunts, intravascular catheters, peritoneal dialysis, prosthetic heart valves, and joint prostheses. In this issue of the Journal, Freeman and colleagues¹ report the results of a case–control study of risk factors associated with bacteremia due to coagulase-negative staphylococci in infants in a neonatal intensive care unit. Infants with bacteremia were significantly more likely than control infants to have received an intravenous lipid emulsion shortly before the onset of bacteremia. These data . . .