Author Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Al-Zamil FA)

Corresponding Author: Fahad Abdullah Al Zamil, MBBS, ABP, Department of Paeditrics (39), College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, P.O. Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, K.S.A. (Tel: 009661-4670807; Fax: 009661-4679463; Email: fahad_alzamil@hotmail.com)

Background: Bacteremia is a major pediatric health care problem despite the availability of new modalities in the management of this disease. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence and pattern of bacteremia in pediatric group at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh in the period of January 2003 to January 2005. Positive culture was found in 259 patients aged below 15 years with a total of 8244 admissions in the period.

Results: The highest incidence of bacteremia was found in patients aged less than 1 year (57.9%), and the majority of patients (30.5%) were infants aged less than 1 month. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolated pathogen (18.7%). Prematurity was associated with 13.2% of the cases, and respiratory tract infection (10.1%) and fever (76.1%) were chief complaints.

Conclusions: Staphylococcus aureus is the most common isolated pathogen. The most common primary infections are respiratory tract infection and septic meningitis. Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli are the most common isolated Gram-negative organisms.

Key words: bacteremia; incidence;  Staphylococcus aureus           

World J Pediatr 2008;4(2):118-122