We aimed to assess the factors associated with 30-day mortality in patients with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREf) bloodstream infection (BSI) who received treatment with linezolid in an 11-year retrospective cohort of patients with VREf BSI. A univariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine 30-day mortality factors. Moreover, a Cox proportional hazards analysis of predictor covariates of mortality was performed. Eighty patients were included in the final analysis; 42 (53%) died and 38 (47%) survived 30 days after the index bacteremia. Thirteen patients of 42 (31%) died in the first 7 days. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.76; p < 0.001) in the multivariate analysis. Moreover, VREf BSI persisting for more than 48 hours was a strong factor related to 30-day mortality (aOR, 19.6; 95% CI: 1.46-263; p = 0.01). Adequate control of infection source showed a trend to be protective without reaching significance in the multivariate analysis (aOR, 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04-1.0; p = 0.05). The Cox proportional hazards analysis confirmed the same significant mortality predictor besides linezolid treatment within the first 48 hours as a protective factor (hazard ratio 0.46; 95% CI: 0.23-0.92, p = 0.02). Severely ill patients with high APACHE II score and persistent bacteremia have a higher risk of failure with linezolid therapy.
Keywords: bacteremia; linezolid; vancomycin-resistant enterococci.