Serratia bacteremia: review of 118 cases.
A review was conducted of 118 episodes of serratia bacteremia in cancer patients during a 16-year period. The infection occurred most commonly in patients with acute leukemia. Most patients acquired the infection in the hospital, and 61% had received antibiotic therapy during the preceding 10 days. Fever occurred in 90% of cases and shock in 18%. Thirty-eight percent of patients had concomitant pneumonia. Patients with shock, pneumonia, or hemorrhage had a substantially poorer prognosis. The response rate was 75% for patients who received appropriate antibiotics, 22% for those who received inappropriate antibiotics, and 29% for those who received no antibiotics. Patients who continued to have positive blood culture results while receiving appropriate antibiotic therapy had a poor diagnosis. Patients who received only an aminoglycoside had the poorest response rate among those who received appropriate therapy.
Saito
H
H
Department of Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Elting
L
L
Bodey
G P
GP
Berkey
P
P
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012705:Serratia; D012769:Shock / Q000150:complications
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents