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1887

Journal of Medical Microbiology logo Journal of Medical Microbiology

Volume 74, Issue 6

Predictors for true bacteraemia Open Access

Abstract

species colonizing the human oropharynx and gastrointestinal and urogenital tract are associated with a wide range of infections. The isolation of spp. from sterile clinical samples is regarded as significant.

Increased use of advanced diagnostics has caused an increased detection of in the bloodstream, the clinical significance of which is unclear.

To investigate the clinical factors associated with true bacteraemia that could aid in differentiating it from transient bacteraemia.

We conducted a retrospective study of all inpatients with bacteraemia from two tertiary care centres from 1 January 2006 to 26 September 2021. Data were collected on demographic and clinical characteristics, comorbidities, primary source of infection and outcomes. True bacteraemia was defined as bacteraemia with systemic manifestations of infection.

A total of 82 cases of positive blood cultures were identified, of which 33 (40.2%) were true bacteraemia, based on clinical criteria. Patients with true bacteraemia were more likely to be older (=0.007), have chronic skin ulcers (<0.001), have a history of central line placement within 3 months of their presentation (=0.04), have had a fever within 72 h of admission (=0.05) and have presented with an abscess (<0.001) compared with patients with transient bacteraemia. True bacteraemia was more likely to be associated with positive tissue cultures (=0.02) and an infectious disease consultation than transient bacteraemia. Skin and soft tissue (27.3%) was the most common source followed by intra-abdominal (21.1%). Among true bacteraemia, the most common species was with a ratio of 1:8 (transient versus true bacteraemia). All-cause mortality was 30.3% in patients with true bacteraemia compared with 4.1% in patients with transient bacteraemia (<0.001).

Predictors of true bacteraemia included older age, fever within 72 h of admission, presence of abscess and chronic skin disease. species exhibit varying degrees of invasiveness, with potentially showing higher invasive potential. Better awareness and involvement of infectious disease specialists is recommended in determining the clinical significance of transient bacteraemia and can help implement antibiotic stewardship and patient safety and improve outcomes. Further research will help to identify the true importance of these isolates.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): Actinomyces bacteraemia , mortality associated with Actinomyces and risk factors associated with Actinomyces
© 2025 The Authors
  • This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The Microbiology Society waived the open access fees for this article.
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2025-06-04
2026-02-15

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Predictors for true Actinomyces bacteraemia
J. Med. Microbiol. 74, 002026 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.002026
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.002026
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.002026
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