Table 1

Predisposing factors and underlying diseases of bacteraemia

Predisposing factor
All patients
S. aureus
Str. pneumoniae
β-haemolytic streptococci
E. coli
p-value

N = 149
N = 41
N = 42
N = 23
N = 43


n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)
n (%)


Obesitya
27 (23.7)
9 (25.7)
4 (16.7)
6 (31.6)
8 (22.2)
0.698
Current smoker or ex-smokerb
66 (48.5)
18 (48.6)
26 (65.0)
11 (57.9)
11 (27.5)
0.007
Alcohol abuse
24 (16.1)
5 (12.2)
9 (21.4)
6 (26.1)
4 (9.3)
0.211
Type 1 diabetes
5 (3.4)
1 (2.4)
-
-
4 (9.3)
0.1
Type 2 diabetes
29 (19.5)
9 (22.0)
5 (11.9)
4 (17.4)
11 (25.6)
0.426
COPD
8 (5.4)
-
5 (11.9)
2 (8.7)
1 (2.3)
0.053
Haematological malignancy
11 (7.4)
2 (4.9)
3 (7.1)
1 (4.3)
5 (11.6)
0.723
Solid malignancy
15 (10.1)
6 (14.6)
3 (7.1)
1 (4.3)
5 (11.6)
0.589
Rheumatoid arthritis
7 (4.7)
5 (12.2)
-
1 (4.3)
1 (2.3)
0.034
Liver cirrhosis
4 (2.7)
2 (4.9)
-
1 (4.3)
1 (2.3)
0.511
Cardiac diseasec
44 (29.5)
14 (34.1)
10 (23.8)
6 (26.1)
14 (32.6)
0.705
McCabe II or IIId
24 (16.1)
8 (19.5)
5 (11.9)
2 (8.7)
9 (20.9)
0.462
Corticosteroid treatmente
18 (12.1)
6 (14.6)
4 (9.5)
2 (8.7)
6 (14.0)
0.857
Chronic diseasef
117 (78.5)
33 (80.5)
27 (64.3)
17 (73.9)
40 (93.0)
0.013
Age >60 years
78 (52.3)
21 (51.2)
20 (47.6)
10 (43.5)
27 (62.8)
0.391
Male sex
79 (53.0)
28 (68.3)
24 (57.1)
14 (60.9)
13 (30.2)
0.003
Nosocomial infection
30 (20.1)
16 (39.0)
4 (9.5)
3 (13.0)
7 (16.3)
0.004

a(BMI >30), data available from 114 patients

bData available from 136 patients

cCoronary artery disease, valvular disease or documented heart failure

dMcCabe class II or III: ultimately fatal or rapidly fatal disease

eCorticosteroids used in a dose of over 5 mg per day during one month prior to the episode of bacteraemia

fAt least one chronic disease

Huttunen et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2007 7:13   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-7-13