title: Nosocomial bacteremia due to Enterococcus faecalis without endocarditis.
abstract: During a 2-year observation period at a 2,200-bed university hospital, bacteremia due to Enterococcus faecalis was observed in 111 patients. Fifty-five patients with nosocomial bacteremia due to E. faecalis could be evaluated. The most common entry sites were the urinary tract (25%), the intraabdominal cavity (13%), and burn and decubital wounds (11%). Bacteremia was preceded by administration of cephalosporins, imipenem, and aztreonam (n = 39); ciprofloxacin (n = 11); and other antibiotics (n = 4). Age, sex, underlying disease, portal of entry, previous antibiotic therapy, and bacteremia due to other organisms had no influence on mortality. Treatment of bacteremia with penicillins (n = 45) and glycopeptides (n = 4) resulted in a mortality rate of 37%. The addition of a high-dose aminoglycoside to a penicillin did not result in a better survival rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemotherapy, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Graninger
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ragette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001317:Austria; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents