title: Blood culture-positive infections in patients with alcoholic hepatitis.
abstract: Acute alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a life-threatening disease and its course is often determined by infections. However, the pattern of pathogens has not been studied. We examined the microbiological pathogens that caused blood-borne infection in patients with AH. We included 32 AH patients without infection at inclusion. Patients were followed for 1 month and their infection status was recorded based on clinical records, radiologic exams and cultures of different secreta. Nine patients (28%) developed blood culture-positive infections. The agents were of heterogeneous aetiology and came from various sites of infection. Candida species accounted for three of these infections (33%). Five patients (16%) died, two of which had positive blood cultures. A high fraction was invasively infected by a heterogeneous spectrum of microbes including yeasts and commensal bacteria. This may reflect the severe immune impairment of AH and suggests thorough infection screening and an immediate broad-spectrum antibiotic approach if infection is suspected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital , Aarhus , Denmark.
authors.forename: Pernille Glahn
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Wernlund
authors.forename: Sidsel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Støy
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lemming
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vilstrup
authors.forename: Thomas Damgaard
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Sandahl
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058387:Candidemia / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Alcoholic hepatitis; antibiotics; bacteremia; immunodeficiency; infections