Relationship of phylogenetic background, biofilm production, and time to detection of growth in blood culture vials with clinical variables and prognosis associated with Escherichia coli bacteremia

In patients with Escherichia coli bacteremia, data on the relationship of phylogenetic background, biofilm production, and degree of bacteremia with clinical variables and prognosis are scarce. During a 1-year period, all adults with bacteremia due to Escherichia coli diagnosed at a university center were enrolled. Determination of phylogenetic background, biofilm production, and genotyping was performed with all strains, and the time to positivity of blood culture vials was recorded. A total of 185 episodes of diverse-source E. coli bacteremia was analyzed. Strains of phylogroup D were predominant (52%). Phylogroup A isolates were associated with pneumonia and prior antibiotic intake, B1 with an abdominal source of infection, B2 with the absence of urological abnormalities, and D with urological abnormalities and age below 65 years. Resistance to antibiotics and no biofilm production were concentrated in phylogroup A strains. Biofilm production was not associated with any clinical variable. An immunocompromising condition (odds ratio [OR] = 5.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4 to 17.9), peritonitis (OR = 17, 95% CI = 3.32 to 87), pneumonia (OR = 9.97, 95% CI = 1.96 to 50.6), and <= 7 h to bacteremia detection (OR = 4.37, 95% CI = 1.38 to 13.8) were the best predictors of a fatal outcome. Results from this study suggest that the distribution of phylogenetic backgrounds among E. coli strains involved in diverse-source bacteremia may be subject to geographical variation and that, in afflicted individuals, some high-risk sources, the patient's underlying condition, and the degree of bacteremia are more important than microbial factors in determining the outcome. Time to positivity of blood culture vials may be a variable of potential clinical impact.