Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Cutaneous Manifestations Associated with Bacteraemia: A Cross-sectional Prospective Study

Abstract

Bacteraemias are life-threatening conditions that require rapid care and antibiotherapy. Dermatological signs might help in deciding the most relevant treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of cutaneous manifestations in hospitalized patients with bacteraemia. A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 1 year. All consecutive patients with a bacteraemia (except contaminations) were included and examined by a dermatologist within 48 h after positive blood cultures. Clinical (skin manifestations, diagnosis, origin of the bacteraemia) and laboratory (bacteria) data were recorded. In total, 401 bacteraemias in 375 patients were included for the final analysis. Thirty-nine cutaneous manifestations in 34 patients were noted, corresponding to a prevalence of 9%; 69% (n = 27) were considered primary cutaneous manifestations, 18% (n = 7) as secondary ones, 10% (n = 4) as contiguous, and 3% (n = 1) as undetermined. Gram-positive cocci, specifically Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species, were the most frequent bacteria (n = 27, 69%).

Keywords

• bacteraemia
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Streptococcus pyogenes
• purpura fulminans
• sepsis