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Ferreras Amez JM, Arribas Entrala B, Aspiroz C, Ezpeleta Galindo A, Boned Juliani B
Objective.
To assess seasonal variation in episodes of bacteremia.
Methods.
Retrospective cohort study of cases of significant bacteremia found in blood cultures ordered in a hospital emergency department. The incidence, etiology, diagnostic and prognostic yield were analyzed for each season of the year.
Results.
A total of 4384 blood cultures were ordered in 4.1% of the emergency patients attended. The diagnostic yield was 12.2% (incidence, 490 cases per 100 000 cases attended). Cultures were ordered more often in winter (in 4.6% of the patients vs in 3.8% in the other seasons on average, P<.001). The diagnostic yield was lower in winter
than in the other seasons (10.2% vs 13%, P=.01), and the contamination rate was higher (4.9% vs 3.8%, P=.02). Escherichia coli was isolated in fewer cultures in winter than in other seasons (36.4% vs 46.9%, P=.03), and Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated in more (14.5% vs 5.9%, P=.001).
Conclusions.
The microbiological profile of blood cultures, their diagnostic yield, and rate of contamination differ greatly in winter
