Predictive factors of bacteraemia in the patients seen in emergency departments due to infections

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze predictive factors of bacteraemia in patients seen in the emergency department (ED) for an episode of infectious disease. METHODS: Observational, retrospective and descriptive analytical study of all blood cultures extracted in an ED in adult patients (>/= 18 years) seen in ED due to infec-tious disease from 1-1-2019 to 1-7-2019. The follow-up was carried out during 30 days. Thirty-eight variables for predicting bacteraemia were assessed. They covered epidemiological, comorbidity, functional, clinical and analytical factors. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 1,425 blood cultures were finally enrolled in the study. Of those were considered true bacteremia 179 (12.6 %) and as negative blood cultures 1,246 (87.4 %). Amongst negatives, 1,130 (79.3%) without growth and 116 (8.1%) as contaminants blood cultures. Five variables were significantly associated with true bacteraemia: serum procalcitonin (PCT) >/= 0.51 ng/ml [odds ratio (OR): 4.52; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.20-4.84, P 38.3 degrees C [OR:1.60; 95% CI:1.29-1.90, P <.001], systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 100 mmHg [OR:3.68; 95% CI:2.78-4.58, P <.001], septic shock [OR:2.96; 95% CI:1.78-4.13, P <.001] and malignancy [OR:1.73; 95% CI:1.27-2.20, P <.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors evaluated in an initial assessment in the ED, including serum PCT, temperature, hypotension (with/without septic shock) and being malignancy, were found to predict true bacteraemia.