How Common is Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )?

Bacteremia (bloodstream bacteria) can occur frequently, especially in older people and those who have undergone device-related medical procedures.

How do you get Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )?

Bacteremia (bloodstream bacteria) can be acquired through untreated infections in the urinary tract, infections in the soft tissues and within the abdomen (which can occur more frequently after surgery), and through devices that are inserted into a vein, like central venous catheters.

What else can Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria ) be?

The doctor needs to rule out the following conditions when diagnosing Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria): - Acute prostatitis or a prostate abscess (an infection in the prostate) - Community-acquired pneumonia (a lung infection that one might get outside of the hospital, which can be more dangerous for those without a spleen) - Deep neck abscess (infection that leads to a pocket of pus in the neck) - Empyema (pus collection within the layers of the lung) - Infections after undergoing a procedure in patients who have bacteria in their urine - Intra- or perinephric abscess (infection around or within the kidney leading to a pocket of pus) - Lung abscess (a thick-walled cavity filled with pus within the lung) - Peritonitis abscess (Infection in the lining of the abdomen potentially leading to an abscess) - Pyelonephritis (a kidney infection) - Renal calculi (kidney stones) - Renal insufficiency (reduced kidney function) - Urinary tract obstruction (a condition where the flow of urine is blocked)

What kinds of test are needed for Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )?

The tests needed for Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria) include: - Lactate level test - Blood cultures (screening for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria) - Chest x-ray - Urine test with a culture - CT scan of the operated area (if recent surgery) - Cultures from the surgical wound site (if recent surgery) - Sputum cultures (if breathing problems or on a ventilator) - Testing of venous catheter, hemodialysis catheter, or port tips for bacterial cultures

How is Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria ) treated?

Bacteremia, or bacteria in the blood, is treated by starting the right antibiotics as soon as possible. The choice of antibiotics should consider factors such as the patient's history, current health status, where the infection was acquired, recent medical treatments, and local antibiotic resistance patterns. Initially, broad-spectrum antibiotics are given to cover a wide range of bacteria types. If the infection is from a hospital or due to recent healthcare exposure, an antibiotic that kills Pseudomonas bacteria is also used. Vancomycin may be added to combat resistant bacteria like MRSA. Once the specific bacteria causing the infection is identified, the antibiotics are adjusted to target that bacteria. The duration of antibiotic treatment is typically between 7 to 14 days, administered through an IV. Once patients show improvement and meet certain criteria, they can transition to oral antibiotics.

Are there long term effects of Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )?

In a healthy person, bacteremia (having live bacteria in the blood) usually clears up on its own and does not lead to further problems. However, if the immune system fails or becomes overwhelmed, bacteremia can progress to a more serious blood infection called septicemia. If left untreated, severe bacteremia can lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, septic shock, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

What type of doctor should I see for Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )?

You should see an infectious disease specialist for Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria).

Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )

What is Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )?

Bacteremia simply means having live bacteria in your blood. This can happen during normal day-to-day activities, for example while brushing your teeth, or after minor medical procedures. In a healthy person, these harmless infections usually clear up on their own and don’t lead to any further problems. However, if your immune system fails or gets overwhelmed, bacteremia can turn into a more serious kind of blood infection with many different symptoms. This is referred to as septicemia. If left untreated, this severe bacteremia can lead to a condition called systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, septic shock, and even a situation where multiple organs start failing, known as multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

What Causes Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )?

When treating a patient with bacteremia, which is the presence of bacteria in the blood, it’s crucial to pinpoint where the infection started. This step is important for planning the treatment and identifying the patient group most likely to be affected. In patients who are in the hospital, the infection’s source is usually the respiratory tract or devices that are inserted into a vein, like central venous catheters.

Bacteremia acquired outside the hospital (community-acquired bacteremia) is usually due to untreated infections in the urinary tract. However, infections in the soft tissues and within the abdomen are less common but can occur more frequently after surgery.

Escherichia coli is the main culprit behind bacteremia related to gram-negative bacteria, while Staphylococcus aureus is the most common gram-positive bacteria linked to bacteremia.

Risk Factors and Frequency for Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )

What causes bloodstream infections can vary due to a few factors. These include the area where you live, the specific group of people you belong to, how resistant you are to certain drugs, and the infection prevention measures adopted by your healthcare institution. Older people with several health conditions are likely to live in community centers and get hospitalized. Therefore, it’s not surprising that they’re more at risk of getting bacteremia, a type of bloodstream infection.

In the past, most hospital-related bloodstream infections in the U.S. were typically due to gram-negative bacilli, bacteria that still commonly cause community-acquired bacteremia. However, gram-positive aerobes, another type of bacteria, have become increasingly common over the last twenty years. This trend is due to the growing number of older people and the increase in device-related medical procedures.

Signs and Symptoms of Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )

A person with a bacterial infection in their blood, also known as bacteremia, usually has a fever. Although not necessary, experiencing chills or shaking could be signals that the infection has spread to their blood. When this condition evolves into sepsis or severe sepsis, it often results in low blood pressure, change in mental state, and lesser urine production because of the fluid leakage from blood vessels. If the infection continues to spread, it can harm other organs, potentially leading to serious conditions like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute kidney injury (AKI).

Testing for Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )

If you think you might have a bacterial infection, the doctor will want to figure out where the infection might be coming from. This information will help them decide which tests to order. Since time is crucial in preventing a serious body-wide infection called sepsis, your doctor might order tests quickly.

In all suspected cases of bacterial infection in the blood, the initial tests should include two: a lactate level test and blood cultures. These blood cultures should, if possible, be taken from both arms and should screen for two types of bacteria: aerobic and anaerotic.

In a hospital setting, at the very least, most patients will likely undergo a chest x-ray and a urine test with a culture. If you have recently had surgery, a CT scan of the operated area might be necessary. This is to check for things like abscesses or collections of pus, and your doctor might also want to test cultures from the surgical wound site.

If you have breathing problems or are on a ventilator, sputum (a mixture of saliva and mucus) cultures may be required. If you have a venous catheter, hemodialysis catheter, or port (devices used to deliver medication or for blood filtration), they should be removed, and the tips should be tested for bacterial cultures.

Treatment Options for Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )

When dealing with bacteremia, or bacteria in the blood, it’s really important to start the right antibiotics as soon as possible. Delaying this treatment can lead to more serious health problems, or even death. The choice of antibiotics should be logical and factor in things like the patient’s history, current health status, where they got the infection (community or hospital), recent medical treatments, and the local antibiotic resistance patterns.

Before we can specifically identify the bacteria in a lab, we give patients broad-spectrum antibiotics. These cover a wide range of bacteria types. They include antibiotics like extended-generation cephalosporins or a beta-lactamase inhibitor. If the infection is from a hospital or due to recent healthcare exposure, we also use an antibiotic that kills Pseudomonas bacteria. Another antibiotic, vancomycin, is added to combat resistant bacteria, like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

Once we know what bacteria is causing the infection from the lab test, we adjust the antibiotics to specifically fight that bacteria. It’s hard to say for sure how long the patient needs to be on these antibiotics. However, in most cases, it’s between 7 to 14 days, administered through an IV. Once patients are showing improvement (a.k.a., no more fever for at least 48 hours and improved overall health), they can then transition to oral antibiotics.

Here are some medical conditions that could be diagnosed from the symptoms a patient may experience:

Acute prostatitis or a prostate abscess (an infection in the prostate)
Community-acquired pneumonia (a lung infection that one might get outside of the hospital, which can be more dangerous for those without a spleen)
Deep neck abscess (infection that leads to a pocket of pus in the neck)
Empyema (pus collection within the layers of the lung)
Infections after undergoing a procedure in patients who have bacteria in their urine
Intra- or perinephric abscess (infection around or within the kidney leading to a pocket of pus)
Lung abscess (a thick-walled cavity filled with pus within the lung)
Peritonitis abscess (Infection in the lining of the abdomen potentially leading to an abscess)
Pyelonephritis (a kidney infection)
Renal calculi (kidney stones)
Renal insufficiency (reduced kidney function)
Urinary tract obstruction (a condition where the flow of urine is blocked)

It’s crucial for healthcare providers to consider these possibilities when examining patients to identify the correct cause of their symptoms.

What to expect with Bacteremia (Bloodstream bacteria )

Original: In a study of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), those who were obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) were found to have a higher risk of disease activity, damage accrual, and poor quality of life. The association between obesity and SLE activity and damage was independent of other traditional risk factors. Furthermore, obesity was associated with a lower probability of achieving lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) and higher odds of organ damage. Future interventions targeting obesity may help to modify disease progression and improve quality of life in patients with SLE.

Summarized: A study revealed that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune disease, who were obese (having a body mass index or BMI of 30 or more) had a higher tendency to experience higher disease activity, more damage build-up, and a poorer quality of life. Obesity’s link to SLE activity and damage remained, even when accounting for other common risk factors. Notably, being obese also had a link with lower chances of achieving low disease activity and higher odds of organ damage. So, obesity might be something that needs focus in future strategies to slow disease advancement and improve life quality in SLE patients.