title: Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia: risk factors for mortality and influence of delayed receipt of effective antimicrobial therapy on clinical outcome.
abstract: Among the nosocomial pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Data on 136 patients with P. aeruginosa bacteremia were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate risk factors for mortality. The median age of the patients was 55 years (range, 15-85 years), 78.7% of the cases were hospital-acquired, and the 30-day mortality rate was 39% (53 of 136 patients). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that risk factors for mortality included severe sepsis, pneumonia, delay in starting effective antimicrobial therapy, and an increasing APACHE II score (all P values <.05). In 123 of the 136 patients (excluding 13 patients treated with inadequate definitive antibiotics), 30-day mortality was 27.7% (13 of 47 patients) in the group of patients who received initially effective empirical antimicrobial therapy, and 43.4% (33 of 76) in the group of patients who received delayed effective antimicrobial therapy (P=.079). There was a trend toward higher mortality as the length of delay increased. Delay in starting effective antimicrobial therapy for P. aeruginosa bacteremia tended to be associated with higher mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol-In
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sung-Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hong-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: Myoung-Don
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Eui-Chong
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kang-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Choe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents