Mortality Prediction in Bloodstream Infections
Summary
Bloodstream infections (BSIs) represent a critical cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, driven by a diverse array of bacterial and fungal pathogens and complicated by host factors such as immunosuppression, comorbidities and age. Mortality prediction in this context aims to identify patients at greatest risk of death by integrating clinical, microbiological and laboratory data. Key approaches include the use of clinical scoring systems that capture severity of illness, measures of microbial burden such as time-to-positivity (TTP) of blood cultures, and indices of comorbidity or organ dysfunction. Advances in molecular diagnostics and real-time culture monitoring have refined risk stratification, enabling earlier escalation of care and targeted antimicrobial therapy. Such predictive tools carry global significance by informing clinical decision-making, guiding resource allocation in intensive care settings and enhancing antimicrobial stewardship strategies across diverse healthcare systems.
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Mortality Prediction in Bloodstream Infections publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mortality prediction in bloodstream infections across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Bloodstream infection (BSI): The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the blood, often detected by positive blood cultures and associated with systemic inflammatory responses.
Time-to-positivity (TTP): The interval between incubation of a blood culture sample and detection of microbial growth, reflecting pathogen load and growth kinetics.
Pitt bacteremia score (PBS): A clinical scoring system that quantifies the severity of bacteremia based on physiological parameters and organ dysfunction to predict mortality risk.
Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI): A weighted index of pre-existing comorbid conditions used to estimate a patient’s risk of mortality over a defined period.
References
- Clinical Impact of Ceftriaxone Resistance in Escherichia coli Bloodstream Infections: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study. Open Forum Infectious Diseases (2022).
- A TTP-incorporated scoring model for predicting mortality of solid tumor patients with bloodstream infection caused by Escherichia coli. Supportive Care in Cancer (2021).
- Predicting Sepsis‐Related Mortality: Pitt Bacteremia Score is Superior to the Charlson Comorbidity Index. International Journal of Clinical Practice (2024).
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