Abstract

Background: Bacteremia related to urinary tract infections (UTI) is associated with significant levels of morbidity and mortality as well as extensive financial costs for hospitals. Enterococcus faecalis accounts for the majority of enterococcal bacteremia with urinary tract infections reported as a frequent point of infection.

Aim: To investigate different epidemiological characteristics and hospital procedures as potential risk factors for the development of UTI-related bacteremia due to E. faecalis.

Methods: In a retrospective case control study, performed in the Capital Region of Denmark between 2010 and 2013, we compared 51 patients, with UTI-related bacteremia due to E. faecalis, to 56 patients, with urinary tract infections due to E. faecalis but without bacteremia, through univariate and multivariate analyses.

Findings: In the univariate analysis male-sex was positively associated with UTI-related bacteremia due to E. faecalis with an odds ratio of five and the association was highly significant (p-value<0.001). Catheterization, admission to a urological ward and urological surgery were also positively associated with bacteremia and the associations were likewise significant (for all, P<0.05). In the multivariate analysis, male-sex and urological surgery were found to be independent significant predictors of UTI-related bacteremia due to E. faecalis.

Conclusion: Male sex, urological surgery and catheterization are factors associated with UTI-related bacteremia due to E. faecalis.

Keywords: Bacteremia; Catheterization; Enterococcus faecalis ; Risk factors; UTI-Related; Urologic surgery; Urinary tract infection