Extraintestinal focal infections in adults with nontyphoid Salmonella bacteraemia: predisposing factors and clinical outcome

. Background. Nontyphoid Salmonella (NTS) isolates lead to not only self‐limited, acute gastrointestinal infections, but also bacteraemia with or without extraintestinal focal infections (EFIs). The risk factors associated with EFIs in adults with NTS bacteraemia were not clearly elucidated. Methods. In a medical center in southern Taiwan, patients aged ≥18 years with NTS bacteraemia between January 1999 and June 2005 were included for analysis. Results. Of 129 patients, 51 (39.5%) were complicated with EFIs. The most common EFI was mycotic aneurysm, followed by pleuropulmonary infections and spinal osteomyelitis. Compared to patients with primary bacteraemia, those with EFIs had higher leucocyte counts (P = 0.004) and higher serum levels of C‐reactive protein (P