Pseudomonas bacteremia in a community teaching hospital, 1980-1984

The epidemiologic characteristics, clinical course, and outcome of 96 episodes of pseudomonas bacteremia occurring during 1980-1984 in a community teaching hospital are reviewed. The male-to-female ratio for the patients involved was 1.9:1. The mean age was 64 years, and 41 patients were greater than or equal to 70 years of age. Sixty-two episodes were nosocomially acquired; nine were acquired in nursing homes. Twenty episodes were polymicrobial. The respiratory and genitourinary tracts were the most common sources of bacteremia. Seven patients had splenectomies prior to the onset of bacteremia. The overall mortality was 61%; mortality attributable to pseudomonas bacteremia was 48%. Statistically significant differences in mortality were related to underlying conditions and portal of entry. Findings in this series were compared with those in published series from different institutions over a period of years. Pseudomonas bacteremia remains a major infection in patients with underlying diseases and continues to cause high mortality in the 1980s.