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HACEK bacterial group
HACEK is an acronym for a group of slow-growing, fastidious gram negative bacteria with a predilection for infecting heart valves, i.e. endocarditis.
- Haemophilus parainfluenza, Haemophilus aphrophilus
- Actinobacillus
- Cardiobacterium
- Eikenella
- Kingella
Management:
1) empiric antibiotic therapy
a) ampicillin plus an aminoglycoside
b) ceftriaxone if not able to tolerate ampicillin
2) therapy based upon antibiotic sensitivity
Related
endocarditis
Specific
Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus)
Cardiobacterium
Eikenella
Haemophilus aphrophilus
Haemophilus parainfluenza
Kingella
General
bacteria
References
Manual of Medical Therapeutics, 28th ed, Ewald &
McKenzie (eds), Little, Brown & Co, Boston, 1995, pg 265