STREPTOCOCCUS-PYOGENES BACTEREMIA - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY IN A BELGIAN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

We retrospectively studied 29 cases of S. pyogenes bacteremia, treated from September 1985 through September 1993, in order to define the cl inical pattern, predisposing factors,and the outcome of S. pyogenes ba cteremia in our region. The number of infections, the clinical picture and mortality rate of S. pyogenes bacteremia did not change during th e study period and only 2 of 29 cases presented with a fulminant clini cal course, meeting the criteria of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome . In many patients, predisposing factors such as skin abnormalities (n =14) and airway diseases (n=10) could be identified. Patients with und erlying skin disease were mostly characterized by a clinically benign bacteremia with good prognosis. We suspect that the recently reported so-called rising incidence of severe S. pyogenes infections might be d ue to epidemiologic clustering and selection bias in certain regions.