Clinical Impact of Blood Culture Results in Acutely Ill Hospitalized Adult Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

BACKGROUND Blood cultures are obtained clinically to confirm site and source of acute infection as well as to guide effective antibiotic therapies. Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are at risk for blood stream infection (BSI) as identified from positive blood culture results. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed of 190 adult CF patients from January 1, 2001 through December 1, 2015. All positive blood culture results were identified as to clinical relevance and source of BSI. RESULTS There were a total of 3,053 blood cultures. One hundred fifty-one positive blood cultures were considered pathogenic and clinically significant. Venous access device-related BSI was identified in 31 evaluable patients and 106 blood cultures. Nineteen patients and 45 positive blood cultures were attributable to organ-specific sources. CONCLUSION Two patterns of BSI were identified: 1) venous access device infections without causal mortality and 2) organ-specific site infections with associated 26% mortality.