Table 2.
Demographic and clinical characteristics associated with more severe SAB
| Characteristic | Impact |
|---|---|
| Community-acquired infection | Tends to metastasize |
| Female gender | Increased risk of mortality vs males |
| Positive blood cultures present for longer than 48 h | Complicated course (including metastatic infections) |
| Persistent fever at 72 h | Complicated course |
| Time for blood culture to turn positive | Complicated course (including metastatic infections and increased risk of mortality) |
| Lack of identifiable focus | Aggravates and prolongs SAB |
| Skin lesions suggestive of acute systemic infection | Complicated course |
| Implanted prosthetic device | Complicated course (including increased risk of mortality and relapse) |
| Immunosuppression and HIV | Aggravates and prolongs SAB |
| Renal failure | Intravascular complications |
| Solid tumors | Intravascular complications |
| APACHE II score >7 | Complicated course (including increased risk of septic shock and mortality) |
| CURB-65 score >3 | Complicated course (including increased risk of septic shock and mortality) |
| Neurologic complications | Increased risk of mortality |
| Cardiac complications | Increased risk of mortality |
| Septic thrombophlebitis | Prolonged clinical course |
| MRSA pneumonia | Complicated course (including increased risk of septic shock and mortality) |
Portions of this table were reproduced with permission from Table 1 in Keynan and Rubinstein [7] and additional information was adapted from Corey [58]
Abbreviations: APACHE Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation, CURB-65 confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age 65, HIV human immunodeficiency virus, MRSA methicillin-resistant S. aureus, SAB S. aureus bacteremia