Clinical and epidemiologic significance of coagulase-negative staphylococci bacteremia in a tertiary care university Israeli hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the clinical significance of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) bacteremia.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
A 900-bed hospital in Haifa, Israel, from November 1996 to March 1997.


RESULTS
Of 137 episodes of positive blood cultures for CNS, 41 (30%) were considered as true infection. Twenty-seven of 119 episodes associated with only 1 blood culture positive for CNS (23%) met the definition of infection as compared with 14 of 18 episodes (78%) associated with 2 or more blood cultures positive for CNS (P <.001). Methicillin resistance was significantly more frequent among Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates of episodes of true bacteremia than of episodes of contamination (15 of 22 [68%] vs. 11 of 33 [33%], respectively; P =.02). S hominis was isolated only in episodes considered as contamination (P =.01). It was estimated that CNS represents 24% of all nosocomial bloodstream pathogens. When CNS were isolated in the first 48 hours of hospitalization, an intravascular device was more frequently associated with episodes of true bacteremia than in those considered as contamination (7 of 7 [100%] vs. 10 of 57 [18%], respectively; P <.001). The mortality rate among patients with true CNS bacteremia was 16%.


CONCLUSIONS
Some laboratory parameters may help identify episodes of true CNS bacteremia, which appears to be more common than previously considered.
Finkelstein
R
R
Infectious Diseases Unit and Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rambam Medical Center and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Fusman
R
R
Oren
I
I
Kassis
I
I
Hashman
N
N
D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013045:Species Specificity; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*