Bactériémies à Escherichia coli d’origine urinaireCaractéristiques cliniques et facteurs pronostiques

Objective To describe patients with bacteremia from urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coli and investigate risk factors for mortality. Method Retrospectively study of the files of patients with bacteremic urinary tract infection caused by E. coli and admitted via the Emergency Department of the University Hospital in Nice between 01/01/1997 and 12/31/2000. Inclusion criteria included at least one blood and urine culture positive for E. coli during the first 48 hours and age above 15 years. Results There were 118 patients in the population (71% female). Mean age was 73 years and median age 79 years. The majority of patients (90%) were hospitalized in a medical department. Initially the clinical picture was sepsis in 80% of patients, severe sepsis in 15% and septic shock in 5%. Lethality was 16%. In 40% of cases death occurred within the first 48 hours. Risk factors for mortality in multivariate analysis were initially severe clinical status and male sex. Conclusion The population was aged and mortality was high for an infection presumed to be relatively benign. Age was not a risk factor for mortality contrary to male gender. (C) 2004, Masson, Paris.