# Successful Treatment of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Endocarditis With Intravenous Daptomycin: A Case Report and Literature Review

**Authors:** Mehboob A. Rehan, J. Todd Bagwell, S. Blake Wachter, Sandeep Singh Jubbal

PMC · DOI: 10.1155/crdi/9295802 · 2026-01-26

## TL;DR

A patient with Lactobacillus rhamnosus endocarditis was successfully treated with intravenous daptomycin, offering an alternative for those with penicillin allergies.

## Contribution

This case report demonstrates the successful use of daptomycin for treating Lactobacillus rhamnosus endocarditis in a penicillin-allergic patient.

## Key findings

- Lactobacillus rhamnosus endocarditis was successfully treated with intravenous daptomycin for 6 weeks.
- Daptomycin shows potential as an alternative treatment for Lactobacillus infections in patients with severe penicillin allergies.

## Abstract

Lactobacilli are Gram‐positive, facultatively aerobic, rod‐shaped bacteria that are a normal part of the human microbiota and rarely cause infections in immunocompetent hosts. Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus are the most common human pathogens within this genus and are also frequently used in probiotics. Both species are inherently resistant to vancomycin, and penicillin—sometimes in combination with aminoglycosides—remains the primary treatment for infections caused by these organisms. Management becomes particularly challenging in patients with severe penicillin allergies, such as anaphylaxis. Although daptomycin has demonstrated in vitro activity against these pathogens, clinical data on its use are limited. Here, we present a case of Lactobacillus rhamnosus endocarditis successfully treated with 6 weeks of intravenous daptomycin.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** daptomycin (PubChem CID 21585658), vancomycin (PubChem CID 14969), penicillin (PubChem CID 2349)
- **Diseases:** endocarditis (MONDO:0005025)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** anaphylaxis (MESH:D000707), infections (MESH:D007239), penicillin allergies (MESH:D008586)
- **Chemicals:** penicillin (MESH:D010406), Daptomycin (MESH:D017576), vancomycin (MESH:D014640), aminoglycosides (MESH:D000617)
- **Species:** Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (species) [taxon 47715], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Lacticaseibacillus casei (species) [taxon 1582]

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12834691