The pathogenic potential of coryneform bacteria has been underestimated

Taxonomy
Family: Corynebacteriaceae

Natural habitats
Part of normal skin flora, but causes disease mainly in immunocompromised patient

Common infections:

Part of normal skin flora, but causes disease mainly in immunocompromised patients
- Infective endocarditis (notably on prosthetic valves)
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections
- Prosthetic device infections (vascular grafts, orthopedic hardware)

Hospital-acquired (nosocomial): Frequently associated with indwelling medical devices and prolonged hospitalization.

Antibiotic resistance
- Often multidrug-resistant
- Typically resistant to β-lactams and many common antibiotics
- Vancomycin is the treatment of choice in most cases

Diagnostic importance
- Previously considered a contaminant, now recognized as a true pathogen when isolated from sterile sites.

Patient populations at risk
- Hematologic malignancies
- Bone marrow transplant recipients
- Patients on long-term antibiotics or with central venous catheters

In short, C. jeikeium is a clinically important, drug-resistant nosocomial pathogen in immunocompromised patients.