[Epidemiological features of community- and nosocomial-acquired bacteremia in the hospitalized elderly patients]. / Características epidemiologías de la bacteriemia de origen comunitario y nosocomial en pacientes hospitalizados mayores de 65 años.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the epidemiology and to identify associated factors for community- and nosocomial-acquired bacteremia in the elderly (BE). PATIENT AND METHODS: Elderly patients diagnosed of bacteremia were selected. Community- or acquired-bacteremia were defined according to standard criteria. The severity of underlying diseases was classified as non-fatal, ultimately fatal, or rapidly fatal, according to McCabe-Jackson criteria. Multivariate analysis by logistic regression was used to identify associated factors to bacteremia. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-two cases of BE were selected. The mean age was 72.5 years, 50% occurred in males. One hundred and thirty cases (53.7%) were community-acquired and 112 (46.3%) cases were nosocomial-acquired BE. Most common underlying diseases were diabetes mellitus (30.6%%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (25.6%) and neoplasia (24%). Gram-negative bacteria were more frequently isolated in community-acquired BE, while gram-positive cocci were more common in nosocomial-acquired BE. Sources of infection were: vascular (19%), respiratory tract (18.6%), biliary tract (17.8%) and urinary tract (8.3%). The factors associated with nosocomial-acquired BE were (adjusted OR; 95%CI): underlying diseases (5.4; 2.7-10.8), neoplasia (2.5; 1.3-4.9) and vascular origin (2.2; 1.1-4.5). Fifty-two patients died (23.1%). CONCLUSIONS: BE occurs in elderly patients debilitated with well-defined underlying diseases. BE is associated to high mortality.

[Pneumococcal bacteremia in adult patients at a university hospital]. / Bacteriemia neumocócica en el adulto en un hospital de tercer nivel.

OBJECTIVES: to analyze the epidemiology, the clinical spectrum, and to identify prognostic factors for pneumococcal bacteremia (PB). PATIENTS AND METHOD: adult patients (age>14 years) diagnosed of PB in the "Carlos Haya" University Hospital at Malaga (Spain) were selected between 1995 and 2000. A protocol was drawn up for the collection of data which included epidemiological characteristics, underlying diseases, symptoms and findings on the physical examination at admission, laboratory values, chest radiography features, and patient evolution. To identify prognostic factors was carried out multivariate analysis by logistic regression. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-three cases of PB were included. The mean age was 56.2+/-18.3 years, 71.5% occurred in males. The overall annual incidence of PB was of 5.5 cases/100,000 population. Most common underlying diseases were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (26%), alcoholism (21.1%), liver cirrhosis (21.1%), HIV infection (19.5%), and neoplasia (25%). Lungs were more frequent source of infection (71.5%). No source of bacteremia was identified in 13 (10.6%) cases. Resistance rate to penicillin was 36.6%. Mortality rate 30.1%. In the multivariate analysis, the independent prognostic factors for mortality were hyperazotemia, multi-lobe involvement, and presence of shock CONCLUSIONS: There is a high incidence of PB in patients with underlying diseases. Lung is the most common source of bacteremia. Mortality rate was high. Prognostic factors were identified.