title: Predictors of mortality in bacteremic cancer patients: retrospective analysis of 64 deaths occurring among 262 bacteremic episodes.
abstract: A total of 262 bacteremic episodes were observed in cancer patients in a single cancer institution during the last 7 years, and the recorded outcome was death in 65. The 65 patients who died (24.8% overall mortality) were divided retrospectively into two subgroups: (a) those who died of underlying disease with bacteremia (45 cases, 16.9% crude mortality) and (b) those who died of bacteremia (20 patients, 7.7% attributable mortality). Comparison of several risk factors in subgroups of patients who achieved a cure (197 cases) and of those who died and whose deaths were attributable (20 cases) revealed six risk factors that were associated with attributable mortality: (1) chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (P < 0.03), (2) Acinetobacter/Stenotrophomonas spp. bacteremias (P < 0.001), (3) liver failure (P < 0.001), (4) inappropriate therapy (P < 0.0001), (5) organ complications (P < 0.003) and (6) multiresistant organisms (P < 0.001). Enterococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, surprisingly, were found more frequently in those who died of an underlying disease with bacteremia than among patients who were cured (17.6% vs 7.6%, P < 0.05 and 29.1% vs 13.8%, P < 0.02). Those who died of infection had higher numbers of positive blood cultures, with 2.05 per episode, than did those who died of underlying disease with bacteremia (1.82) or those who were cured (1.51). Other risk factors, such as underlying disease, type of chemotherapy, origin of bacteremia, age, and catheters did not predict either overall or attributable mortality within the study group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Microbiology, National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spanik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sufliarsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mardiak
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sorkovska
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trupl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kunova
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kukuckova
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rusnakova
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demitrovicova
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pichna
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krupova
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kralovicova
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mateićka
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krcmery
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000401:mortality*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000401:mortality; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents