Risk Factors of Blood Culture Positivity and Mortality in Bloodstream Infections: A Population‐Based Study of Patients With B‐Cell Malignancies
Mathias Holmsgaard Eskesen, Alexander Djupnes Fuglkjær, Tarec Christoffer El‐Galaly, Paw Jensen, Izabela Ewa Nielsen, Laurids Østergaard Poulsen, Mikkel Runason Simonsen, Kirstine Kobberøe SøgaardABSTRACT
Background
Bloodstream infections remain a major cause of mortality among cancer patients. Pathogen surveillance and risk stratification tools are key to improved management. This study describes trends in causative pathogens and explores risk factors for positive blood cultures (PBCs) and post‐infection mortality in cancer patients.
Methods
We performed a cohort study of patients diagnosed with a B‐cell malignancy in the North Denmark Region between 2013 and 2022, linking cancer registry data to health records. Causative pathogens were described. LASSO regression was used to select variables associated with PBCs and post‐infection mortality. Odds ratios were estimated by univariate analyses.
Results
Among 1592 patients with B‐cell malignancies, 341 patients (21.4%) had at least one PBC, yielding 484 PBCs. We observed a shift from Gram‐positive to Gram‐negative dominance, driven by an increased frequency of the most common pathogen
Conclusion
Routinely available parameters obtained at time of admission were associated with blood culture positivity and mortality. Our findings support the rationale for developing predictive models to individualise infection management.