Fatal septicemias: factors of mortality. Analysis of 72 fatal cases in the series of 462 case reports collected by the Septicemia Expert System group in 1985
Beytout, J.; Bernard, E.; Stahl, J.P.; Blanc, D.; Beuscart, C.
Pathologie-Biologie 35(5 Pt 2): 819-824
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0369-8114 PMID: 3309821 Document Number: 294147
During the year 1985, 462 cases of septicemia were collected by SES group; 417 observations could be exploited. 73 patients died (17.3%). The statistical analysis of epidemiological and clinical data argued to factors correlated with high mortality rate: a shock, an acute respiratory distress syndrome, a pulmonary portal of entry lead to a high mortality rate. The fatal outcome increased with the age of the patients. A documented immunodeficiency (granulopenia, cytotoxic chemotherapy...), a previous broncho-pulmonary, neurologic or cardiovascular disease were factors of risk. The pulmonary or cutaneous localisations occurring within a septicemic phase were significantly related to death. Among fatal cases of bacteremia, 25% were Staphylococci, 25% Enterobacteria, 20% Pneumococci, 7% Pseudomonas. Pseudomonas, then Pneumococcus, then Staphylococcus bacteremias looks to have a worse prognosis. The more serious cases were prescribed several antibiotics, significantly much more than the mild cases. These results are compared with the results of former series; the main prognosis factors of actual septicemia are elicited in here.