Predicting bacteremia caused by Streptococcus anginosus group: A new scoring method.

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Viridans group streptococci (VGS) are primary causes of infective endocarditis.
• Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) is a VGS subgroup frequently linked to abscess formation.
• Delayed diagnosis of SAG infections increases patient morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) bacteremia.
• To develop a predictive scoring model for SAG bacteremia.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-control study comparing SAG and non-SAG VGS bacteremia patients.
• Univariate analysis using chi-squared and t-tests.
• Multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors.

Main Results:

• Key predictors for SAG bacteremia include age >63 years, solid tumor, elevated C-reactive protein (>7.61 mg/dL), and high white blood cell count (>8550/μL).
• A predictive score incorporating these factors and diabetes mellitus demonstrated an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.81.
• A cut-off score of 6 achieved 51% sensitivity and 88% specificity.

Conclusions:

• The developed scoring system effectively predicts Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) bacteremia in patients with Viridans group streptococci (VGS) bacteremia.
• A score of 6 or higher indicates a high specificity for SAG bacteremia.
• This tool can aid in the timely diagnosis and management of SAG infections.