Bacteremia in a Swedish university hospital: a one-year prospective study in 1981 and a comparison with 1975-76.

A one-year prospective study of bacteremia was carried out at a Swedish university hospital. Blood cultures were taken in 6.3% of all patients admitted to the hospital. 148 episodes of bacteremia were recorded in 142 patients, 59% of whom were males. The mean incidence of bacteremia was 4.3 episodes per 1,000 admissions. The incidence of contamination was 1.3%. Malignancy and urinary tract disorders were the most common diagnoses and surgical intervention, central venous catheters and cytostatic drugs the most common predisposing factors. The ratio of hospital to community-acquired bacteremia was 1.3:1. The fatality rate was 12.7%. Gram-negative rods belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae were the most common pathogens, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the causative bacteria was quite favorable. No S. aureus strains were resistant to isoxazolyl penicillins or gentamicin. No Klebsiella strain and only one Escherichia coli strain was resistant to gentamicin. The results were compared to a one-year retrospective study carried out in the same hospital five years ago. The incidence of bacteremia had not increased between the two studies.