Epidemiology and Outcomes of Bloodstream Infections
Summary
Bloodstream infections (BSIs) remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, arising when pathogens such as bacteria, fungi or yeasts invade the circulatory system. The global incidence of BSIs has risen in recent decades, driven by an ageing population, the increasing prevalence of chronic comorbidities, invasive medical procedures and expanded use of immunosuppressive therapies. These infections are broadly classified by their setting of acquisition: community, healthcare‐associated community onset and hospital onset, each with distinctive risk factors and microbial profiles. Gram‐negative bacilli such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae now rival Gram‐positive organisms like Staphylococcus aureus as predominant pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) compounds this burden, with multidrug‐resistant Enterobacteriaceae and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus contributing to higher case fatality rates and prolonged hospital stays. Mortality varies by setting, patient age and immune status, but remains substantial, often exceeding 15–20 percent within 30 days of diagnosis. Comprehensive epidemiological surveillance and robust antimicrobial stewardship are essential to guide empirical therapy, to monitor resistance trends and to inform preventive strategies, including vaccination and catheter‐related infection control protocols.
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Epidemiology and Outcomes of Bloodstream Infections publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology and outcomes of bloodstream infections across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Bloodstream infection (BSI): Invasion of the circulatory system by pathogens detected in blood cultures, often leading to systemic inflammation.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): The ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of an antimicrobial agent to which it was once susceptible.
Incidence rate: The number of new BSI cases occurring in a defined population over a specified time period, often expressed per 100,000 person-years.
Case fatality rate: The proportion of individuals diagnosed with BSI who die within a defined follow-up period, typically 30 days.
Community-acquired infection: A bloodstream infection diagnosed within 48 hours of hospital admission in a patient without recent healthcare exposure.
References
- Changing epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of bloodstream infections at a Vietnamese infectious diseases hospital (2010–2020). npj Antimicrobials and Resistance (2024).
- Antimicrobial resistance prevalence in bloodstream infection in 29 European countries by age and sex: An observational study. PLOS Medicine (2024).
- Incidence, aetiology and temporal trend of bloodstream infections in southern Sweden from 2006 to 2019: a population-based study. Eurosurveillance (2023).
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