Campylobacter bacteraemia: 16 years of experience in a single centre.
BACKGROUND
Campylobacter bacteraemia (CB) is rare and usually occurs in immune-compromised patients. In this study we examined the incidence and epidemiology of CB in one institution over 15.5 years.


METHODS
The medical records of all the consecutive patients with CB admitted to our hospital from 2000 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical characteristics, microbiologic and outcome data were collected.


RESULTS
During the study period, 65 patients with CB were identified. The majority of the patients were middle aged and immune-compromised. Campylobacter jejuni was the most commonly identified species (33/47, 70%). The main underlying conditions were haematological malignancies (43%) and chronic liver disease (14%). Fifty-seven percent of the patients were receiving immunosuppressive therapy at the time of bacteraemia. The most common presenting symptoms were fever (85%), diarrhoea (40%), abdominal pain (40%), and nausea and vomiting (40%). Of the isolates tested, 97% were susceptible to macrolides, and only 35% were susceptible to quinolones. Susceptibility to quinolones decreased over the years. Most patients did not receive adequate empiric antibiotic treatment (81.5%) and about 20% never received directed therapy. Mortality and relapse rates were low (5% each). There was no association between adequate empirical or definitive antibiotic therapy and adverse outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
The main predisposing factor for Campylobacter bacteraemia in our cohort was immunosuppression. Prognosis was generally favourable regardless of appropriateness of antibiotic therapy.
a Infectious Diseases Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel ;
Khetam
K
Hussein
a Infectious Diseases Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel ;
Ayelet
A
Raz-Pasteur
b Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel ;
Yael
Y
Shachor-Meyouhas
c Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel.
Yuval
Y
Geffen
a Infectious Diseases Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel ;
Ilana
I
Oren
a Infectious Diseases Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel ;
Mical
M
Paul
b Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus and Faculty of Medicine , Technion-Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa , Israel ;
Imad
I
Kassis
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bacteremia; Campylobacter; immune compromised