<i>Moraxella catarrhalis</i> bacteremia in adult with cardiogenic pulmonary edema

Bacteremia due to <i>Moraxella Catarrhalis</i> is rare. An 85-year-old Japanese woman had productive cough, dyspnea, and fever. She had type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic heart failure. Infiltration shown on chest radiography could be explained by heart failure or pneumonia. Initial blood culture yielded Gram-negative cocci, identified as <i>M. catarrhalis</i>. We therefore diagnosed cardiogenic pulmonary edema and <i>M. catarrhalis</i> pneumonia. <i>M. catarrhalis</i> has a high prevalence of β-lactamase production, so treatment comprised ampicillin/sulbactam. The clinical outcomes were favorable. Our case shows the importance of consideration of <i>M. catarrhalis</i> when patients with heart failure have pneumonia and the importance of blood culture for such patients.