Gu et al identified risk factors for mortality in patients with Acinetobacter baumannii bacteremia. These can help to identify a patient who may benefit from more aggressive management. The authors are from the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital and Sanya Sanitorium of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces in Sanya City, Hainan, China.
Patient selection: Acinetobacter baumannii bacteremia with signs and symptoms of infection
Outcome: 14-day mortality
Risk factors for 14-day mortality:
(1) severe bacteremia (based on Pitt Bacteremia Score, which goes from 0 to 14; patients who died had a score >= 4.5))
(2) neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 500 per µL)
(3) malignancy (with risk for hematologic malignancy greater than for a solid tumor)
Other factors implicated in other studies:
(1) multi-drug resistance and therapy with inappropriate antibiotics
(2) immunosuppressive therapy (which was associated with hematological malignancies)
(3) other severe comorbid conditions
Over half of the patients became septic with Acinetobacter while in the ICU.
