Doctors help!What's the perfect treatment for babies wit heavy growth of bacteria called citrobacter freundii?

There have been several typhoons coming in and out of the country and most places are flooded. The bacteria came from contaminated water. My baby was treated with 250 mg of claforan twice daily through injection and iv for 7 days but when i had her stool cultured the second time around, the result was still the same-heavy growth of citrobacter freundii. It's been a week now since she was hospitalized and she's doing fine, no diarrhea. I was just wondering why there's still heavy growth after injecting antibiotics. I know it's not safe for babies to take antibiotics all the time. I'm still observing for any changes in her, but so far there aren't any. i'm just worried that the second test still indicates heavy growth. what can i do if she starts getting ill again?

Citrobacter freundi is usually treated with one of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics like ciproflxacin ("cipro"), ofloxacin, moxifloxacin, etc. These are given either orally or intravenously (i.v.).there are other antibiotics used but the following are given i.v. only. meropenem, imipenem, etrapenem, and cefepenem. I believe all of them are 3'rd generation penicillins that are good against beta lactam resistant bugs.
Good luck. hope she does not need a 2'nd. course of antibiotic. Where are you? Citrobacter is not that common an enteric organism in N. America. Suspect you're in the far east.
Dan.

Citrobacter freundii is one of the bacteria that is found in the soil. Sometimes it causes gut or urinary infections. (I have read of one case of a brain infection). It tends to cause "opportunistic infections" in humans, that is to say it will grow if our defences are significantly depleted.

This will be a problem generally if your baby
1) is very very young (newborn)
2) has an immunodeficiency: HIV/AIDS, SCID, other such diseases
3) is taking medications to suppress its immunity

In most other cases, if your baby is clinically well, there may not be any need to continue antibiotics despite the heavy growth of citrobacter.

HOWEVER I would be wary and observe your baby. Some of the things to watch for are: excessive lethargy/drowsiness, fevers, poor appetite

If she starts getting ill again, take her to a doctor straight away (preferably one in a good hospital).

In cases where citrobacter has been a florid infection through the bloodstream making people unwell (it doesn't sound like your baby fits in to this category), it has been serious and some people have died from it. Usually, this is in people who have poor immunity (as discussed above)