Risk of bacteremia in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)

Patients with CTCL are at increased risk for bacteremia which is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. We assessed risk factors for and the impact of bacteremia on survival in a retrospective cohort of 188 CTCL patients at a single US academic institution treated between 1990 and 2018. With a median follow up of 6.2 years, 20% of patients (n = 36) developed 79 bacteremia events. Risk factors for bacteremia included advanced stage, female gender, African American (AA) race, invasive lines, and chemotherapy. Bacteremia was associated with an increased risk of death on univariate and multivariable models. Bacteremia is associated with an increased risk of death in patients with CTCL. The greatest avoidable risk factors included chemotherapy treatment and presence of an invasive line. Key points 20% of patients developed bacteremia at any point in time in this analysis. Bacteremia is associated with an increased risk of death in patients with CTCL Risk factors for bacteremia include advanced stage, female gender, AA race, invasive line, and chemotherapy.