Bacteremic urosepsis: a phenomenon unique to elderly women.

Bacteremia constitutes a major challenge to the aged patient because the pathophysiological derangements that ensue pose an immediate threat to life. Compared to younger adults the elderly suffer bacteremia more frequently in association with pneumococcal pneumonia and salmonella enteritis/colitis. A prospective study to detect bacteremia was performed on 68 consecutive women with pyelonephritis requiring hospitalization. The data indicate that bacteremia occurs more frequently in elderly than in young women with nonobstructive pyelonephritis.