Faculty Collaboration Database

Skin and soft tissue infections in hospitalised patients with diabetes: culture isolates and risk factors associated with mortality, length of stay and cost. Diabetologia 2010 May;53(5):914-23

Date

02/11/2010

Pubmed ID

20146051

DOI

10.1007/s00125-010-1672-5

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-77952092513 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   127 Citations

Abstract

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) cause substantial morbidity in persons with diabetes. There are few data on pathogens or risk factors associated with important outcomes in diabetic patients hospitalised with SSTIs.

METHODS: Using a clinical research database from CareFusion, we identified 3,030 hospitalised diabetic patients with positive culture isolates and a diagnosis of SSTI in 97 US hospitals between 2003 and 2007. We classified the culture isolates and analysed their association with the anatomic location of infection, mortality, length of stay and hospital costs.

RESULTS: The only culture isolate with a significantly increased prevalence was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); prevalence for infection of the foot was increased from 11.6 to 21.9% (p < 0.0001) and for non-foot locations from 14.0% to 24.6% (p = 0.006). Patients with non-foot (vs foot) infections were more severely ill at presentation and had higher mortality rates (2.2% vs 1.0%, p < 0.05). Significant independent risk factors associated with higher mortality rates included having a polymicrobial culture with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (OR 3.1), a monomicrobial culture with other gram-negatives (OR 8.9), greater illness severity (OR 1.9) and being transferred from another hospital (OR 5.1). These factors and need for major surgery were also independently associated with longer length of stay and higher costs.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Among diabetic patients hospitalised with SSTI from 2003 to 2007, only MRSA increased in prevalence. Patients with non-foot (vs foot) infections were more severely ill. Independent risk factors for increased mortality rates, length of stay and costs included more severe illness, transfer from another hospital and wound cultures with Pseudomonas or other gram-negatives.

Author List

Lipsky BA, Tabak YP, Johannes RS, Vo L, Hyde L, Weigelt JA

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Diabetes Complications
Diabetes Mellitus
Health Care Costs
Humans
Iatrogenic Disease
Inpatients
Length of Stay
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Prevalence
Pseudomonas
Pseudomonas Infections
Risk Factors
Soft Tissue Infections
Staphylococcal Skin Infections