Klebsiella pneumoniae is a type of bacteria that can cause pneumonia, UTIs, wound infections and other illnesses. Some can be severe and hard to treat with antibiotics. Klebsiella naturally lives in your gut and respiratory tract. It most often spreads from person to person or through contaminated medical devices.

What Is Klebsiella pneumoniae?

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a type of bacteria that’s usually found in poop (stool) and your respiratory tract. It can also live in dirt and water in the environment.

Klebsiella can cause:

Klebsiella can be dangerous because some strains are resistant to antibiotics. This means standard antibiotics don’t work to get rid of the infection, and it can be hard to treat.

Types

There are different types of Klebsiella pneumoniae:

  • Classic: These strains can live in your body and usually don’t harm you. But they can spread in hospitals and long-term care facilities. They usually infect people with medical devices or those who have other health conditions.
  • Hypervirulent: These are more likely to cause severe illness and spread outside of healthcare facilities (community-acquired).

Symptoms and Causes

Symptoms of Klebsiella infections depends on where in your body you’re infected. You won’t have all these symptoms.

What are the symptoms of a Klebsiella pneumoniae infection?

Klebsiella symptoms depend on where you get infected. Some symptoms could include:

  • Belly pain
  • Cough, shortness of breath
  • Difficulty peeing or painful urination
  • Eye pain
  • Fever, chills
  • Headache
  • Redness, swelling or itching at a surgical or injury site

How do you get Klebsiella pneumoniae?

You can get a Klebsiella infection from:

  • Contaminated medical equipment (like a urinary catheter or ventilator)
  • Contaminated soil or water
  • Respiratory droplets (from coughing or sneezing)
  • Cuts, burns or other wounds that break your skin
  • Skin-to-skin contact with other people
  • Surgical procedures

Risk factors

You might be at a higher risk for a Klebsiella infection if you’re hospitalized or live in a long-term care facility. You’re also at higher risk if you have:

Complications

Klebsiella pneumoniae infections can be severe. They can damage tissue and spread to other parts of your body. This can cause lifelong health issues or even death. These include:

  • Blindness
  • Necrotizing fasciitis, a bacterial infection that destroys tissue quickly
  • Sepsis, a severe reaction to infection that can damage your organs

Diagnosis and Tests

How is Klebsiella pneumoniae diagnosed?

A provider diagnoses Klebsiella infections by testing a sample of your blood, pee or tissue. Tell your provider about any implanted medical devices you have or recent surgeries. Depending on your symptoms, you might also need imaging, like a CT scan.

Management and Treatment

How is Klebsiella pneumoniae treated?

Healthcare providers treat Klebsiella infections with antibiotics. Often, certain antibiotics don’t work on Klebsiella bacteria. So, your provider may need to try different antibiotics or a combination of antibiotics to get rid of the infection.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

If you have risk factors for a Klebsiella infection, ask your healthcare provider about the signs you should look out for. Follow up with your provider if you have any concerning symptoms.

When should I go to the ER?

Go to the emergency room if you have any signs of severe illness, including:

  • Fever over 103 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius
  • Severe pain
  • Seizures
  • Confusion or disorientation
  • Signs of an infected wound, like swelling, redness, discoloration or oozing pus or fluid

Outlook / Prognosis

How harmful is Klebsiella pneumoniae?

Klebsiella infections can be serious. Providers will monitor you closely during treatment. The outcome depends on:

  • Where the infection is in your body, and whether it spreads to other body parts
  • Whether the strain is resistant to antibiotics or if it’s a hypervirulent strain
  • Whether you have other health conditions

Prevention

Can Klebsiella pneumoniae infections be prevented?

Healthcare providers follow safety and sterilization rules to prevent healthcare-acquired infections like Klebsiella. These include:

  • Washing their hands
  • Disinfecting surfaces
  • Ensuring that people only take antibiotics when they have bacterial infections
  • Sterilizing medical devices

You can help prevent Klebsiella infections by:

  • Washing your hands frequently, especially if you’re caring for someone with a weakened immune system or another health condition
  • Asking your provider how long you need to use invasive medical devices like catheters, and how to prevent infection while you need the device
  • Avoiding other people if you’re sick
  • Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze

A note from Wockr

Harmless bacteria live on and inside your body. But sometimes, they can get into parts of your body where they’re not supposed to be and make you sick. Even if you’re in the hospital, make sure you let your care team know if you have any new or concerning symptoms. This can help any infections get treatment as soon as possible.