Enterobacter Bacteremia: A Review of 58 Episodes

Abstract

This report reviews 58 episodes of enterobacter bacteremia in 55 patients during a 66-month period at a 750-bed community teaching hospital in USA. The median age of patients was 65 years and 38% of the patients were older than 70 years. All patients had underlying conditions: rapidly fatal (7%), ultimately fatal (33%) and non-fatal (60%). Nosocomial acquisition of bacteremia occurred in 72% of episodes. 20 episodes (34.5%) were polymicrobial bacteremia. The major portal of entry was the lungs (34%). The overall mortality was 69%. Factors that adversely influenced the mortality rate were nosocomial acquisition (p<0.02), rapidly fatal and ultimately fatal underlying conditions (p<0.02), and lungs as the portal of entry (p<0.05).