Anaerobic bacteraemia in patients admitted to Auckland City Hospital: its clinical significance.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical significance and outcomes for patients with anaerobic bacteraemia at our institution over a 2-year period.


METHODS
The isolates were identified from the laboratory database and patient information obtained from clinical records.


RESULTS
Anaerobes were isolated from 140 blood culture sets taken from 114 patients. For 59 patients, the isolates were considered to be contaminants. Of note, all Propionibacterium spp. were considered contaminants. For the patients with true bacteraemias, the most likely source of infection was intra-abdominal, 26 (50%), mucositis associated with neutropaenia contributed to by cytotoxic therapy, 11 (19%), skin and soft tissue, 4 (8%), pelvic, 5 (9%) and oropharyngeal, 4 (8%). Thirty-five patients were on appropriate therapy prior to the availability culture results. Five patients died but only one death was directly attributable to anaerobic bacteraemia.


CONCLUSIONS
At our institution, anaerobes accounted for 2.3% of all positive blood cultures. Excluding Propionibacterium spp., most isolates were considered clinically significant. The most common source for the bacteraemia was intra-abdominal infection, followed by mucositis in neutropaenic patients. Empiric antimicrobial therapy provided appropriate cover for two-thirds of the patients. One death was directly attributable to anaerobic bacteraemia.
Muttaiyah
Sharmini
S
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland.
Paviour
Sue
S
Buckwell
Leanne
L
Roberts
Sally A
SA
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005673:Fusobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D045183:Leptotrichia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D018720:Prevotella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011424:Propionibacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies