Definition

• The term HACEK is an acronym formed by the first letters of:
  
  • Haemophilus species
  • Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
  • Cardiobacterium hominis
  • Eikenella corrodens
  • Kingella kingae
• HACEK organisms
  • Fastidious, slow-growing, gram-negative bacteria
  • Require an atmosphere enriched with carbon dioxide for growth
  • Normally reside in the oral cavity and are associated with local infections in the mouth
  • Cause severe systemic infections, most often bacterial endocarditis, which can develop on either native or prosthetic valves

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