Pulmonary infiltrates during community acquired Gram-negative bacteremia: a retrospective single centre study

The primary aim of this study was to describe the frequency of pulmonary infiltrates on chest X-ray (CXR) during community acquired Gram-negative bacteremia at a single centre in Denmark. The patients were retrospectively identified from the laboratory information system and clinical and radiological data were retrieved from the electronic health records. Overall 114 patients with E.coli or K.pneumoniae bacteremia fulfilled the inclusion criteria during the period 2009-2010. CXR was performed in 77% of cases (80% of E.coli and 56% of K.pneumoniae) among which infiltrates were identified in 34%. The two most frequent localizations of infiltrates during E.coli bacteremia were lower lobe/basal (56%) and diffuse (22%). Furthermore, 30% of infiltrates were bilateral while 40% were present on the right lung and 30% on the left lung. In conclusion, the presence of infiltrates during community acquired Gram-negative bacteremia was very frequent in our population.