[Limitation of therapeutic effort in patients with bacteremia]

Abstract

Introduction: The limitation of therapeutic effort (LTE) depends on medical, ethical and individual factors. We describe the characteristics of patients with bacteremia in which it was decided to limit the therapeutic effort.

Method: Prospective study of bacteremia in a community hospital in 2011. We collected information regarding patient variable (age, sex, Barthel index, comorbidities, Charlson Index and exogenous factors) as well as regarding the infectious episode (etiology, focus, place of adquisition, clinical expressivity, LTE and hospital mortality). The group in which LTE was performed was compared to the one that was not.

Results: We collected 233 episodes of bacteremia in 227 patients. We performed LTE in 19 patients (8.2%). Patients with LTE were older (80.7 vs. 72.6 years, p=.014), had more comorbidity (Charlson index 4.6 vs. 2.1, p<.001 and most frequently were severe dependents (57.9% vs. 18.8%, p<.001). We found no association with sex, place of adquisition or clinical expressivity. The commonest clinical focus in patients with LTE was the urinary (42.1%) and there was a predominance of gram positive bacteria (63.2%). The empirical treatment was started early in 73.7% of cases. All patients except one died.

Conclusion: LTE is considered in an important number of patients with bacteremia. They usually are older, with more comorbidity and functional dependence, bad functional basal status and important comorbidity. Knowing their differential characteristics allow us to understand this decision.

Keywords: Bacteremia; Bacteriemia; Bioethics; Bioética; Decision-making; Edad avanzada; Elderly; Limitación del esfuerzo terapéutico; Therapeutic effort limitation; Toma de decisiones.