Bacteremia: narrative review of the literature

Abstract

Objective: to unify the issue of bacteremia by gram-positive bacteria with emphasis on S. aureus and gram-negative bacteria, something that is not yet consolidated in the literature and, in addition, to gather a set of recommendations in the light of the latest scientific evidence, in order to improve its treatment and prognosis. Materials and methods: systematic search in the databases ClinicalKey, PubMed, Nature,The Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and Science Direct, in search of articles published until November 12, 2019 in relation to bacteremia, using terms included in MeSH and DeCs. Results: bacteremia is defined as the presence of viable bacteria in the bloodstream, highlighted by causing high morbidity and mortality.They are more frequent in those over 65 years of age and, currently, the knowledge associated with the community are the ones that have more participation in their genesis. Urinary tract infection is the leading cause of community-associated bacteremia, mainly by gram-negative bacteria. Optimizing antimicrobial treatment is key to the results. The considerable rates of therapeutic failure and the influence of antimicrobial susceptibility will influence the prognosis of the disease.Therefore, the episodes caused by resistant and sensitive strains have led to the investigation of new therapeutic schemes. Conclusion: in recent years the importance of an early, adequate empirical antimicrobial treatment has gained interest and its choice will depend on the patient’s risk factors, impacting on the overall prognosis of the infection.