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Incidence, aetiology and temporal trend of bloodstream infections in southern Sweden from 2006 to 2019 : a population-based study

Ljungquist, Oskar LU ; Blomstergren, Adam LU ; Merkel, Adam ; Sunnerhagen, Torgny LU orcid ; Holm, Karin LU and Torisson, Gustav LU orcid (2023) In Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin 28(10). p.1-10
Abstract

Background

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are a public health concern, and infections caused by resistant bacteria further increase the overall BSI burden on healthcare.AimTo provide a population-based estimate of BSI incidence and relate this to the forthcoming demographic ageing western population change.

Methods

We retrieved positive blood cultures taken from patients in the Skåne region, southern Sweden, 2006-2019 from the Clinical Microbiology Department database and estimated incidence rates (IR), stratified by age (0-49, 50-64, 65-79, ≥ 80 years), sex, year, and species and described antimicrobial susceptibility for Enterobacterales.

Results

We identified 944,375 blood culture sets, and 129,274 (13.7%)... (More)

Background

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are a public health concern, and infections caused by resistant bacteria further increase the overall BSI burden on healthcare.AimTo provide a population-based estimate of BSI incidence and relate this to the forthcoming demographic ageing western population change.

Methods

We retrieved positive blood cultures taken from patients in the Skåne region, southern Sweden, 2006-2019 from the Clinical Microbiology Department database and estimated incidence rates (IR), stratified by age (0-49, 50-64, 65-79, ≥ 80 years), sex, year, and species and described antimicrobial susceptibility for Enterobacterales.

Results

We identified 944,375 blood culture sets, and 129,274 (13.7%) were positive. After deduplication and removal of contaminants, 54,498 separate BSI episodes remained. In total, 30,003 BSI episodes (55%) occurred in men. The overall IR of BSI was 307/100,000 person-years, with an average annual increase of 3.0%. Persons ≥ 80 years had the highest IR, 1781/100,000 person-years, as well as the largest increase. Escherichia coli (27%) and Staphylococcus aureus (13%) were the most frequent findings. The proportion of Enterobacterales isolates resistant to fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporins increased from 8.4% to 13.6%, and 4.9% to 7.3%, (p for trend < 0.001), with the largest increase in the oldest age group.

Conclusion

We report among the highest BSI IRs to date worldwide, with a higher proportion among elderly persons and males, including resistant isolates. Given expected demographic changes, these results indicate a possible substantial future BSI burden, for which preventive measures are needed.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin
volume
28
issue
10
pages
1 - 10
publisher
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:36892472
  • scopus:85150001321
ISSN
1560-7917
DOI
10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.10.2200519
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
12b79da9-f8d4-4d93-b6a2-c2a12da26828
alternative location
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.10.2200519
date added to LUP
2023-03-09 21:07:54
date last changed
2026-06-30 00:45:25
@article{12b79da9-f8d4-4d93-b6a2-c2a12da26828,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background</p><p>Bloodstream infections (BSI) are a public health concern, and infections caused by resistant bacteria further increase the overall BSI burden on healthcare.AimTo provide a population-based estimate of BSI incidence and relate this to the forthcoming demographic ageing western population change.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We retrieved positive blood cultures taken from patients in the Skåne region, southern Sweden, 2006-2019 from the Clinical Microbiology Department database and estimated incidence rates (IR), stratified by age (0-49, 50-64, 65-79, ≥ 80 years), sex, year, and species and described antimicrobial susceptibility for Enterobacterales.</p><p>Results</p><p>We identified 944,375 blood culture sets, and 129,274 (13.7%) were positive. After deduplication and removal of contaminants, 54,498 separate BSI episodes remained. In total, 30,003 BSI episodes (55%) occurred in men. The overall IR of BSI was 307/100,000 person-years, with an average annual increase of 3.0%. Persons ≥ 80 years had the highest IR, 1781/100,000 person-years, as well as the largest increase. <i>Escherichia coli </i>(27%) and <i>Staphylococcus aureus </i>(13%) were the most frequent findings. The proportion of Enterobacterales isolates resistant to fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporins increased from 8.4% to 13.6%, and 4.9% to 7.3%, (p for trend &lt; 0.001), with the largest increase in the oldest age group.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>We report among the highest BSI IRs to date worldwide, with a higher proportion among elderly persons and males, including resistant isolates. Given expected demographic changes, these results indicate a possible substantial future BSI burden, for which preventive measures are needed.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ljungquist, Oskar and Blomstergren, Adam and Merkel, Adam and Sunnerhagen, Torgny and Holm, Karin and Torisson, Gustav}},
  issn         = {{1560-7917}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1--10}},
  publisher    = {{European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)}},
  series       = {{Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin}},
  title        = {{Incidence, aetiology and temporal trend of bloodstream infections in southern Sweden from 2006 to 2019 : a population-based study}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/140010104/eurosurv_28_10_4.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.10.2200519}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}