Nosocomial gram-negative bacillary parotitis

T. L. Pruett and R. L. Simmons

Historically, Staphylococcus aureus has been the primary pathogen in acute suppurative parotitis (ASP). This report presents an index case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia associated with ASP and an institutional review of parotitis in which three of 23 additional cases of pyogenic parotitis had enteric bacilli cultured either alone or as the primary pathogen. These cases support the previously undocumented supposition that enteric gram-negative bacilli and pseudomonads can be pathogens in ASP.