Sepsis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Sepsis, including details on septicemia, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment.

Bloodstream infections in a secondary and tertiary care hospital setting.

Raymond NJ, Blackmore TK, Humble MW, Jones MR

Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease Serevice, Wellington Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand. nigel.raymond@ccdhb.org.nz

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSI) occurring in community and health-care settings vary with the patient group and treatment of underlying medical conditions. We studied the clinical infectious syndromes occurring in patients with positive blood cultures routinely obtained at a regional secondary and tertiary care hospital. METHODS: BSI were categorized as either community-acquired (C-BSI), or health-care-associated (H-BSI) acquired either as a (i) non-inpatient (outpatient) or (ii) hospital inpatient. Clinical information was collected prospectively during the 1-year study. RESULTS: There were 193 C-BSI and 230 H-BSI. The large majority of C-BSI were caused by bacterial pathogens susceptible to narrow-spectrum antibiotics, particularly in children. Cefuroxime was active against 90% of C-BSI isolates and 46% of H-BSI isolates, excluding anaerobes. Of all H-BSI, the 35% occurring in outpatients had a similar source, microbiological cause and bacterial susceptibilities to the inpatients. H-BSI were infrequently due to enterococci (4%), Candida (3%) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (0.4%). No BSI were due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci or extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaciae. I.v. catheters, predominantly central lines, were the source of 60% of all H-BSI, mostly in haematology-oncology or neonatal patients. Mortality at 1 month was 12% overall for both C-BSI and H-BSI, varying markedly by underlying disease and increasing age (for C-BSI). CONCLUSION: In this population, C-BSI have remained susceptible to narrow-spectrum antibiotics, whereas H-BSI due to multiresistant organisms were rare. Obtaining a history of recent medical procedures is important for community patients presenting with a BSI.

Published 13 November 2006 in Intern Med J, 36(12): 765-72.
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