Bacteremia is a prognostic factor for poor outcome in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

We performed a retrospective study to determine the influence of bacteremia on the mortality of patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), a major complication of liver cirrhosis. Patients with SBP with identified pathogens from ascites and/or blood were analyzed by retrospective review of clinical and laboratory records in a university hospital in Korea for 3 y and classified into the bacteremic and non-bacteremic groups. The underlying liver function was determined by model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. Microbiological response rate, ascites polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PML) count reduction rate, and SBP-related mortality were compared between the 2 groups. To identify the independent risk factors of mortality, a multiple logistic regression model was used to control for the confounders. A total of 189 patients was enrolled in the study. Among 189 patients, 110 (58.2%) were bacteremic, and 79 (41.8%) non-bacteremic. Escherichia coli was the most common etiologic organism, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae. MELD scores, microbiological response rate (82.6% vs 88.6%, p=0.295), and ascites PML count reduction rate (33.2% vs 44.8%, p=0.479) were not different between the bacteremic and non-bacteremic group. However, the SBP-related mortality rate of the bacteremic group was significantly higher than that of the non-bacteremic group (37.3% vs 12.7%, p<0.001). Bacteremia (OR=2.86: 95% CI 1.06-7.74, p=0.038), APACHE II score (OR=1.20: 95% CI 1.10-1.31, p<0.001), MELD score (OR=1.07: 95% CI 1.01-1.31, p=0.016) and microbiological no response (OR=5.51: 95% CI 1.82-16.72, p=0.003) were independent risk factors of SBP-related mortality.