Aetiology and prognosis of bacteraemia in Italy.
A prospective multi-centre study was conducted to assess the microbiological pattern and prognostic factors of bacteraemia and their impact on clinical outcome. All patients admitted to 41 Italian hospitals over 2 months, from whom one or more clinically significant organisms were isolated from blood culture, were studied according to a standardized protocol and case definition. A total of 156 episodes of bacteraemia were identified in 20,601 patients. There were 3.9 episodes of nosocomially acquired bacteraemia and 3.7 episodes of community-acquired bacteraemia per 1000 admissions. The most frequent pathogens isolated were Gram-negative bacteria (44.9%) but Gram-positive species accounted for 40.4 % of episodes. Fungal infections due to Candida spp. were found in 3.8 % of episodes, and multiple pathogens were recovered from 9.6% of episodes. The clinical response to bacteraemia was classified as sepsis in 90 episodes (577%), severe sepsis in 21 (13.5%) and septic shock in 26 (167%); 19 episodes (12.2%) showed no clinical response. The total in-hospital mortality was 25.0%. By multivariate logistic regression, the variables which independently predicted mortality were increasing age, the presence of septic shock, infection with Gram-positive bacteria or fungi and nosocomial acquisition.
Azienda Sanitaria Locale, Lodi, Piazza Ospitale, Lodi, Italy.
M L
ML
Panceri
F E
FE
Vegni
A
A
Goglio
A
A
Manisco
R
R
Tambini
A
A
Lizioli
A D
AD
Porretta
G
G
Privitera
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies