Complicating Infectious Foci in Patients with S. aureus or Strep Bacteremia

Secondary infections, which developed in 34% of such patients, produced few signs or symptoms but worsened prognosis.

Many patients with bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus (SAB) or Streptococcus species (SSB) develop complicating infectious foci — either metastatic infection or direct extension of the infection beyond the primary focus. To study the epidemiology of this serious complication, researchers in the Netherlands reviewed the medical charts of 127 immunocompetent patients with SAB and 53 with SSB (excluding S. pneumoniae) between July 2002 and December 2004.

SAB was caused by methicillin-resistant strains in only 2% of cases. SSB was caused by viridans streptococci in 72% of cases, S. agalactiae in 9%, S. pyogenes and group C streptococci in 8% each, and S. bovis in 4%. Complicating infectious foci developed in 39% of SAB cases and 25% of S…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD