Characteristics of bacterial species in positive blood cultures among hospitalized patients in three wards in the Department of Internal Medicine: retrospective chart review 1999-2008.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to establish the clinical significance of positive blood cultures during the past 10 years in Saga University Hospital.


METHODS
All hospitalized patients with positive blood cultures in the gastroenterology, hepatology and respiratory wards in the Department of Internal Medicine, Saga University Hospital were evaluated by retrospective chart review between January 1999 and December 2008. The results were compared between period I (1999-2003) and period II (2004-2008).


RESULTS
During the study, 2,680 isolates from 22,694 samples (11.8%) were detected in Saga University Hospital: 106 (13.1%) isolates from 812 samples were detected in the gastroenterology ward; 71 (7.8%) from 914 in the hepatology ward; and 160 (6.0%) from 2,671 in the respiratory ward. The number of positive blood cultures increased during period II compared with period I in all three wards. The ratio of gram-negative rods increased in the gastroenterology ward during period II (p<0.05). The ratio of gram-positive cocci was higher in the respiratory ward compared with the other two wards (p<0.05 in each). In contrast, the ratio of gram-negative rods was higher in the gastroenterology and hepatology wards (p<0.05 in each). Fungemia increased in the gastroenterology and respiratory wards in period II (p<0.05 in each).


CONCLUSIONS
The trends in bacterial species in positive blood cultures differed between the gastroenterology, hepatology and respiratory wards. This could be important for decision making regarding antimicrobial therapy in the early therapeutic phase.
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Japan.
Rumi
R
Sato
Hiroshi
H
Miyamoto
Yosuke
Y
Aoki
Shinichiro
S
Hayashi
Toshihiko
T
Mizuta
Nanae
N
Tsuruoka
Ryuichi
R
Iwakiri
Kazuma
K
Fujimoto
D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016469:Fungemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006095:Gram-Positive Cocci; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology