title: Independent predictors for mortality in patients with positive Stenotrophomonas maltophilia cultures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging pathogen in nosocomial infections that may result in high mortality. S. maltophilia often present as part of a polymicrobial culture and it is not well established when treatment is indicated. We aimed to identify predictors of mortality in patients with positive cultures of S. maltophilia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study in a tertiary care medical centre was performed in 150 adult patients with positive cultures of S. maltophilia. Patients' demographics, underlying diseases, severity of illness, length of hospitalisation, prior antibiotic exposure, number/types of indwelling catheters, culture sites, and appropriateness of empiric therapy were collected. Logistic regression was used to determine the independent risk factor(s) for infection-attributed mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-nine males and 51 females were studied. The mean (SD) age and APACHE II score of the patients were 61.9 (16.0) and 14.0 (6.1), respectively. The respiratory tract was the most frequent site (55.3%) where S. maltophilia was isolated. Infection-attributed mortality was observed in 22 of the 150 patients (14.7 %). Admission to ICU [Odds ratio (OR), 3.767; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.277-11.116, P = 0.016], and delayed effective treatment (OR, 18.684; 95% CI, 4.050-86.188; P <0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Predictors of mortality in patients with positive cultures of S. maltophilia were identified, which may guide clinicians in patient assessment and devising therapeutic decisions. Further studies are needed to validate our results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. andrea.kwa.l.h@sgh.com.sg
authors.forename: Andrea L H
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kwa
authors.forename: Jenny G H
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: Tze Peng
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Pay Chin
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leow
authors.forename: Asok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurup
authors.forename: Vincent H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Tam
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination