Table 3. Clinical presentation, clinical course and outcomes of polymicrobial bloodstream infection versus monomicrobial bloodstream infection.
| Clinical characteristics | Cases | Controls | Odds ratio (95% CI) | P value |
| Clinical presentations | ||||
| Fever (>38.0°C) | 27 (60.0) | 40 (44.4) | 1.87 (0.91–3.88) | 0.102 |
| Apnea, bradycardia and cyanosis | 29 (64.4) | 55 (61.1) | 1.23 (0.57–2.61) | 0.704 |
| Abdominal distension and feeding intolerance | 31 (68.9) | 45 (50.0) | 2.33 (1.08–5.03) | 0.040 |
| GI bleeding and/or coagulopathy | 18 (40.0) | 14 (15.6) | 3.62 (1.59–8.26) | 0.003 |
| Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy | 10 (22.2) | 4 (4.4) | 6.14 (1.81–20.90) | 0.001 |
| Severe sepsis or septic shock | 12 (26.7) | 7 (7.8) | 6.18 (2.02–18.91) | 0.007 |
| Clinical course | ||||
| Persistent bacteremia* | 4 (8.8) | 5 (5.6) | 1.66 (0.42–6.51) | 0.464 |
| Persistent ileus and/or feeding intolerance >3 days | 22 (48.9) | 25 (27.8) | 2.56 (1.21–5.42) | 0.020 |
| Hematological abnormality# | 30 (66.7) | 34 (37.8) | 3.29 (1.55–6.99) | 0.002 |
| NTISS (mean ± SD) | 17.8±4.9 | 15.3±4.0 | - | 0.004 |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Removal of central venous catheter | 20/38 (52.6) | 31/69 (44.9) | 1.44 (0.65–3.20) | 0.421 |
| Sepsis attributable mortality | 6 (13.3) | 4 (4.4) | 3.31 (0.88–12.39) | 0.063 |
| Overall in-hospital mortality | 9 (20.0) | 7 (7.8) | 2.96 (1.03–8.58) | 0.049 |
| Length of hospitalization (median, IQR) | 84.0 (52.5–122.75) | 72.0 (37.8–112.3) | - | 0.275 |
| Recurrent bloodstream infection within one month | 11 (24.4) | 17 (18.9) | 1.39 (0.59–3.29) | 0.502 |
All data were expressed as number (percentage %), unless indicated otherwise.
Defined as two or more consecutive positive blood cultures with at least 48 hours apart.
# Indicated requirement of any blood transfusion after bloodstream infection onset.
NTISS: Neonatal Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System, BSI: bloodstream infection, SD: standard deviation, DIC: disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, IQR: interquartile range.