A study of bacteremias in Denmark from 1977-1978

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Bloodstream infections (bacteremia) pose significant clinical challenges.
• Monitoring microbial trends and antibiotic resistance is crucial for effective treatment.
• Previous studies in 1965 and 1971 established baseline data for Danish hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze blood culture results from Danish hospitals for 1977 and 1978.
• To compare current findings with historical data from 1965 and 1971.
• To assess trends in pathogenic microorganisms and antibiotic susceptibility.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 17,518 blood cultures in 1977 and 17,820 in 1978 from multiple Danish hospitals.
• Identification and quantification of pathogenic microorganisms, including Enterobacteriaceae and polymicrobial infections.
• Antibiotic susceptibility testing of isolated strains, including retesting of historical Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains.

Main Results:

• Pathogenic microorganisms were isolated from 1,626 patients in 1977 and 1,544 in 1978.
• Enterobacteriaceae accounted for approximately 50% of bacteremia cases in both years.
• Polymicrobial bacteremia occurred in 7.5-8.1% of cases; pathogen frequencies and antibiotic susceptibility remained stable compared to earlier studies, with no significant changes observed in E. coli resistance patterns.

Conclusions:

• Microbial profiles and antibiotic susceptibility in Danish hospital blood cultures remained stable between 1977 and 1978.
• Findings suggest consistency in common bloodstream pathogens and their resistance patterns over time.
• Apparent changes in antibiotic susceptibility in earlier investigations may be attributable to methodological variations in sensitivity testing.