Bacteremia caused by digestive system endoscopy

AIM: to evaluate bacteremias caused during endoscopic examination of the di gestive tract. PATIENTS AND METHODS: prospective study of randomly selected patients who u nderwent digestive system endoscopic examination. Emergency endoscopic exam inations were excluded. RESULTS: a total of 102 patients were analyzed. Of 44 patients who underwen t gastroscopy, 11 (25%) subsequently had positive blood culture, and Staphy lococcus spp and Streptococcus spp were isolated. Of 30 patients who underw ent colonoscopy, 3 (10%) had positive blood cultures, and Staphylococcus sp p were isolated. Of 28 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholang iopancreatography, 11 (39.2%) had positive blood cultures, and Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii, Staphylococcus spp and Streptococcus spp were is olated. No deaths, endocarditis or other septic phenomena were attributed t o bacteremia. CONCLUSIONS: the incidence of bacteremia ranged from 10% to 39% depending o n the type of endoscopy. The microorganisms that were isolated most frequen tly were Staphylococcus spp and Streptococcus spp. Gram-negative bacilli an d enterobacteria were isolated in patients who had undergone endoscopic ret rograde cholangiopancreatography.