title: Serratia bacteremia: a review of 44 episodes.
abstract: This report reviews 44 episodes of serratia bacteremia over a 9-year period (1980-1988) in a community-teaching hospital in the USA. The median age of patients was 64 years and 34% of the patients were older than 70 years. Nosocomial acquisition of bacteremia occurred in 70% of episodes, and 11% of patients were admitted from nursing homes. Nine episodes (20%) were polymicrobial bacteremia. The major portals of entry were the lower respiratory tract (11 episodes) and the urinary tract (6 episodes). The overall mortality was 52%. Factors that adversely influenced the mortality rate were rapidly fatal and ultimately fatal underlying conditions (p less than 0.001), platelet counts less than or equal to 100 x 10(0)/l at the onset of bacteremia (p less than 0.01), and total serum bilirubin greater than 18 mumol/l at the onset of bacteremia (p less than 0.01). All serratia strains tested were susceptible to gentamicin, kanamycin, amikacin and ceftizoxime.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center, Youngstown, Ohio 44501-1790.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Watanakunakorn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012705:Serratia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents