Table 2.
Characteristics of the bacteraemic patients including demographics, underlying diseases, the initial signs and symptoms, and other features
| Characteristics | No. of patients (n = 77) |
|---|---|
| Demographics | |
| Mean age in years (range) | 80 (47 − 98) |
| Male gender | 61 (79.2%) |
| Underlying diseasea | |
| Patients with cardiovascular diseases | 65 (84.4%) |
| Hypertension | 48 (62.3%) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 26 (33.8%) |
| Ischemic heart disease | 17 (22.1%) |
| Patients with urologic or nephrologic disorder | 57 (74.0%) |
| Benign prostatic hypertrophy | 25 (41.0%) |
| Prostatic cancer | 13 (21.3%) |
| Indwelling urinary catheter | 17 (22.1%) |
| Urinary tract strictures or stone formation | 18 (23.4%) |
| Patients with neurologic disorder | 51 (66.2%) |
| Memory disorder | 28 (36.4%) |
| Cerebrovascular disorder | 23 (29.9%) |
| Patients with other malignancy (current or past) | 13 (16.9%) |
| Patients with diabetes | 16 (20.8%) |
| Signs and symptoms (at hospital arrival) a | |
| Fever (≥ 38 °C) c | 63 (81.8%) |
| Urinary tract symptoms | 45 (58.4%) |
| Functional decline | 31 (40.3%) |
| Cognitive decline | 15 (19.5%) |
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | 21 (27.3%) |
| Other symptoms | |
| Cardiac symptoms | 11 (14.3%) |
| Articular symptoms | 5 (6.5%) |
| Other | |
| 30-day mortality | 17 (22.1%) |
| Mean duration of hospitalization in days (range) | 20 (0 − 126) |
| Intensive care unit (ICU) admission | 7 (9.1%) |
| Mean duration of ICU in days (range) | 6 (1 − 15) |
| Institutional care | 21 (27.3%) |
| Penicillin allergy | 3 (4.1%) d |
aNo significant difference between died and survived patients (data not shown)
bPercentage of men (n = 61)
cMentioned in the preliminary report or measured during hospitalization
dNumber of patients n = 73