title: Characteristics and outcomes of Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteremia--a 6-year experience at a tertiary care hospital in northern Taiwan.
abstract: Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteremia is critical and not well defined. To identify the clinical characteristics and outcomes, we conducted a retrospective review of hospitalized patients from January 2004 to December 2009 at a tertiary center in northern Taiwan. Fifty-seven patients were enrolled. The mean age was 58.1 years, and the mean Pitt bacteremia score was 4.7. Males predominated (59.6%), and the overall 30-day mortality rate was up to 47.4%. Malignancy was the major comorbidity (26/57, 45.6%), especially oropharyngeal and gastrointestinal cancers (19/26, 73.1%). Pneumonia (17/57, 29.8%) was the most common presentation with high rates of respiratory failure (15/17, 88.2%) and mortality (11/17, 64.7%), followed by intra-abdominal infections (7/57, 12.3%). In multivariate analysis, higher Pitt bacteremia score, nosocomial infection, anemia, and intensive care unit stay were the independent factors for 30-day mortality. Nosocomial F. nucleatum bacteremia was a significant mortality predictor independent to other parameters of disease severities.
authors: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors: Chien-Chang
authors: CC
authors: Yang
authors: Jung-Jr
authors: JJ
authors: Ye
authors: Po-Chang
authors: PC
authors: Hsu
authors: Hong-Jyun
authors: HJ
authors: Chang
authors: Chun-Wen
authors: CW
authors: Cheng
authors: Hsieh-Shong
authors: HS
authors: Leu
authors: Ping-Cherng
authors: PC
authors: Chiang
authors: Ming-Hsun
authors: MH
authors: Lee