Review 2 from Current Topics in Clinical Microbiology, presented by MediaLab

Recurrent urinary tract infection: Literature Reviews and Queries

Review 2

Suppola JP. Kuikka A. Vaara M. Valtonen VV. Comparison of risk factors and outcome in patients with Enterococcus faecalis vs Enterococcus faecium bacteremia.
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 30(2):153-7, 1998.
The purpose of our study was to determine retrospectively the risk factors for the acquisition of Enterococcus faecalis vs E. faecium bacteremia, as well as the clinical outcomes of these patients.
62 patients with Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia were compared to 31 patients with E. faecium bacteremia. Haematologic malignancies, neutropenia, high-risk source and previous use of aminoglycosides, carbapenems, cephalosporins and clindamycin were significantly associated with E. faecium bacteremia. Instead, urinary catheterization was found to be related to Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia. The mortality rates within 7 d and 30 d were 13% and 27%, respectively, in patients with E. faecalis bacteremia and 6% and 29%, respectively, in patients with E. faecium bacteremia.
There was no difference in mortality between E. faecalis and E. faecium bacteremia, nor was there a difference in seriousness of disease at the time of bacteremia. In the subgroups of patients with monomicrobial or clinically significant E. faecalis vs E. faecium bacteremia, the mortality rates were similar to the results of all subjects.
Our results do not support the theory that E. faecium would be a more virulent organism than E. faecalis

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