Predictors of mortality of enterococcal bacteraemia and the role of source control interventions; a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To identify predictors of mortality among patients with enterococcal bacteraemia.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland and included adult patients with enterococcal bacteraemia from 2014 to 2023.

Results: During the study period, 768 enterococcal bacteraemia episodes were included. The predominant species was Enterococcus faecalis (427 episodes; 56%). Sepsis or septic shock were present in 351 (46%) episodes. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 19% (148 episodes). The Cox multivariable regression model showed that age > 60 years (aHR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.05-2.90), nosocomial infection (1.78, 1.19-2.65), sepsis or septic shock (3.67, 2.48-5.45), and not performing source control interventions within 48 h, in patients on or discussing of transitioning to limitations of care (5.91, 3.13-11.14) were associated with 30-day mortality. Conversely, infectious diseases (ID) consultation within 48 h (0.40, 0.28-0.57), appropriate antimicrobial therapy within 48 h (0.54, 0.34-0.86), and source control interventions performed within 48 h (0.22, 0.14-0.36) or not warranted (0.54; 0.34-0.86) were associated with survival. Among the 737 episodes without limitation of care, the Cox multivariable regression model showed that nosocomial infection (1.78, 1.19-2.67), sepsis or septic shock (3.76, 2.42-5.82), were associated with 30-day mortality. Conversely, ID consultation within 48 h (0.44, 0.30-0.65), appropriate antimicrobial therapy within 48 h (0.51, 0.30-0.86), and source control interventions performed within 48 h (0.25, 0.16-0.40) or not warranted (0.40; 0.26-0.61) were associated with survival.

Conclusions: Our findings underscore the pivotal role of early management of enterococcal bacteraemia, including ID consultation, appropriate antimicrobial treatment initiation and performance of source control interventions.