title: Bacteremia due to beta-hemolytic Streptococcus group G: increasing incidence and clinical characteristics of patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with Streptococcus group G bacteremia from 1990 to 1999 at a community teaching hospital in Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  We calculated the annual rate of bacteremia with Streptococcus group G, expressed as a percentage of positive blood cultures (after excluding contaminants) and per 1000 admissions. Medical records of patients with Streptococcus group G were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 10-year study period, there was a total of 7415 positive blood cultures, 327 (4.4%) of which were beta-hemolytic Streptococcus species, of which 49 (15%) were group G. The rate of Streptococcus group G bacteremia per 1000 admissions increased from zero (0/18,783) in 1990 to 0.41 (13/31,440) in 1999 (P = 0.001), surpassing Streptococcus group A in frequency. Of the 47 patients with Streptococcus group G, 40 medical records were available for review: 25 patients (63%) were older than 75 years and 32 (80%) were men. The probable source of Streptococcus group G bacteremia was a skin or soft tissue infection in 37 patients (93%). Six of the 40 patients died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community-acquired group G streptococcal bacteremia occurred with increasing frequency from 1990 to 1999 at our hospital. Most patients were elderly men, and the portal of entry was usually the skin or soft tissue. Our findings suggest a change in the epidemiology of bacteremia due to beta-hemolytic streptococci.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Noa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sylvetsky
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raveh
authors.forename: Yechiel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rudensky
authors.forename: Amos M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Yinnon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification