- Cheol-In Kang: Division of Infectious Diseases, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 135-710, Republic of Korea.
OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to evaluate clinical features of community-onset Enterobacter bacteremia and determine the risk factors for Enterobacter bacteremia among patients admitted to the emergency department.
METHODS: A post hoc analysis of a nationwide surveillance database of bacteremia was performed. A total of 53 patients with community-onset Enterobacter bacteremia were compared with 882 patients with Escherichia coli bacteremia.
RESULTS: As for the underlying disease, solid tumor was more likely common in Enterobacter bacteremia than in E. coli bacteremia (39.6% [21/53] vs 19.7% [174/882], P < .001). Neutropenia, indwelling urinary catheter, and tube insertion were significantly more common in Enterobacter bacteremia than in E. coli bacteremia (all Ps < .05). As for the site of infection, lung and abdomen were more likely common in Enterobacter bacteremia than in E. coli bacteremia, whereas urinary tract was less likely frequent in Enterobacter bacteremia than in E. coli bacteremia (all Ps < .05). In the multivariate analysis, pneumonia, tube insertion, solid tumor, and health care-associated infection were found to be significantly associated with Enterobacter bacteremia (all Ps < .05).
CONCLUSIONS: Enterobacter species were important pathogens among community-onset gram-negative bacteremia, in association with health care-associated infections. Pneumonia, tube insertion, solid tumor, and health care-associated infections were found to be significantly associated with Enterobacter bacteremia.