In:
Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Oxford University Press (OUP), Vol. 9, No. 7 ( 2022-07-04)
Abstract:
Some patients receive the diagnosis of bloodstream infection (BSI) after discharge from the emergency room (ER). Because the safety of discharging patients after a blood culture collection is unknown, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, outcomes, and factors associated with BSI diagnosed after ER discharge. Methods This monocentric, case-control study compared patients who received a BSI diagnosis after ER discharge with those who were admitted for BSI. Factors associated with ER discharge after a blood culture collection were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Between January 2014 and December 2020, 5.5% (142/2575) of patients with BSI visiting the ER were initially discharged. This occurred more commonly during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020. On multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with the discharge of patients with BSI were the absence of hypotension (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 15.71 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 3.45–71.63] ), absence of altered mental status in the ER (aOR, 8.99 [95% CI, 3.49–23.14]), unknown origin at ER discharge (aOR, 4.60 [95% CI, 2.43–8.72] ), and low C-reactive protein (aOR, 3.60 [95% CI, 2.19–5.93]). No difference in 28-day mortality was observed between the groups. Conclusions BSI is occasionally diagnosed after ER discharge. The prevalence of BSI diagnosed after ER discharge may have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Normal vital signs, unknown origin at ER discharge, and low C-reactive protein were important considerations leading to the discharge of these patients.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2328-8957
DOI:
10.1093/ofid/ofac342
Language:
English
Publisher:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2757767-3
