title: Bacteremia in HIV-positive and AIDS patients: incidence, species distribution, risk-factors, outcome, and influence of long-term prophylactic antibiotic treatment.
abstract: From a cohort of 837 adult, mainly homosexual HIV-infected patients, 76 bacteremic/fungemic episodes were identified in 63 patients over a 5-year period. Compared with an age-matched reference population with an incidence of 10.3 bacteremias/10,000 person-years, the incidence was 170 among pre-AIDS (p < 0.001) and 3,200 among AIDS patients (p < 0.001). Staphylococcal infections comprised 35% of all episodes, while the HIV-related pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Salmonella spp. and C. neoformans together accounted for 34%. The overall mortality associated with clinical bacteremia was 12%, but nil for Salmonella spp. and S. pneumoniae. Predisposing factors for the infection were: low CD4 count (< 100 x 10(6)/l) in 71%, permanent intravenous line, 44%; neutropenia, 11% and active intravenous drug abuse, 7%. Hence, in this population, intensified hygienic precautions for intravenous lines should be the primary target for intervention. Long-term cotrimoxazole prophylaxis may prevent bacteremia with S. pneumoniae and Salmonella spp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skinhøj
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prag
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016469:Fungemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology