Bacteraemias in tropical Australia: changing trends over a 10-year period

Bacteraemia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This is the largest reported study of bacteraemias in Australia. The presence of organisms endemic to the tropical region and the changing trends described have significant implications for empirical antibiotic therapy. This retrospective study examined 8976 blood cultures from Townsville Hospital, a regional Australian hospital located in the tropics over a 10-year period. The rate of bacteraemic episodes during the study period was 10.12 per 1000 admissions. Intravenous devices (18.7%), immunosuppressive therapy (16.1%), and urinary tract infections (16.1%) were important sources for bacteraemia. The most common organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (20.9%) and Escherichia. coli (15.6%). A significant reduction was observed in S. aureus susceptibility to clindamycin (P < 0.05) and in E. coli susceptibility to gentamicin. Organisms isolated that were of relevance to the tropics of Australia included Burkholderia pseudomallei, Group A streptococcus, and Brucella suis.