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Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are serious illnesses that, despite advanced care, can lead to complications and death. Now, investigators have evaluated data collected at a large teaching hospital in Madrid, Spain, to profile trends in BSIs among hospitalized patients. The analysis included all bacterial and fungal organisms except Mycobacterium species (and probable skin flora contaminants) that were isolated from blood samples sent to the institution’s laboratory from 1985 through 2006.
The overall BSI incidence nearly doubled during the study period, from 16 episodes per 1000 admissions to 31.2 episodes per 1000 admissions — an annual increase of 0.8 episodes per 1000 admissions (95% confidence interval, 0.61–1.05; P<0.0001). Each major pa…