Prospective evaluation of the epidemiology, microbiology, and outcome of bloodstream infections in adult surgical cancer patients.

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology and microbiology of bloodstream infections (BSIs) among adult surgical cancer patients and to determine independent factors that influence in-hospital mortality. The study enrolled 112 consecutive episodes of BSIs in adult surgical cancer patients during a 26-month period. The median age of the patients was 64.5 years, and crude in-hospital mortality was 19.6%. The median time from surgery to the index blood culture was 11 days and from index blood culture to death was 4.5 days. Seventy-five percent of the patients had an advanced tumor disease, 36.6% were under intensive care, and 68.7% had a central venous catheter in place at the time the bloodstream infection was diagnosed. Associated infected sites were present in 57.1% of the episodes. There were 328 noninfectious co-morbid conditions. Poor performance status, weight loss, hypoalbuminemia, and ventilatory support accounted for 67.4% of them. There was a predominance of aerobic gram-negative bacilli (62%), followed by gram-positive cocci (26.6%) and fungi (9.3%). The observed mortality rates associated with these organism groups were similar (23.6% vs 15% vs 28.6%, respectively; P=0.44). The most frequent organisms were Enterobacter spp., coagulase-negative staphylococci, Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter spp., and fungi. Nonfermentative strains predominated in patients with catheters. Thirty-five (30.2%) pathogens were considered resistant. There was no significant difference in the mortality rate between patients with resistant and those with nonresistant organisms (20% vs 26%, respectively; P=0.49). Logistic regression analysis showed > or = 4 co-morbid conditions, advanced tumor, thoracic surgery, catheter retention, and pulmonary infiltrates as independent predictors of mortality. Medical and infection control measures addressing certain variables amenable to intervention might reduce the negative impact of postoperative infectious morbidity and mortality of BSIs in adult surgical cancer patients.