The role of follow-up blood cultures in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia in geriatric patients.

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to investigate the effect of obtaining follow-up blood cultures (FUBC) and persistent growth in FUBC on clinical outcomes in bacteremia cases caused by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in the geriatric age group.

METHODS

Patients over 65 years of age with E. coli or K. pneumoniae bacteremia were included in the study. Patients were grouped as those who obtained FUBC and those who did not. Patients with FUBC were grouped as persistent bacteremia or negative FUBC. Demographic, clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between these groups.

RESULTS

A total of 142 patients were included. FUBC were obtained in 79 patients (55.6%) and persistent bacteremia was detected in 23 (29.1%). There were no significant differences in demographic data and clinical characteristics between patients with and without FUBC. There was no statistical difference in the outcomes between patients with of without FUBC. Patients with persistent bacteremia had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, and the interval between index blood culture and FUBC was shorter (2.9 days versus 4.2 days). There was no difference between patients with persistent bacteremia and patients with no growth on FUBC in terms of length of hospital stay, need for intensive care unit, intubation, vasopressor therapy, and 14, 30, 90-day all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSION

In patients over 65 years of age with E. coli or K. pneumoniae bacteremia, neither obtaining FUBC nor persistent bacteremia on FUBC showed any difference in terms of outcomes such as mortality and need for admission to an intensive care unit.