Analysis of risk factors for bacteremia in children with nontyphoidal Salmonella gastroenteritis

To identify the risk factors for Salmonella bacteremia in infants and children with Salmonella gastroenteritis. a retrospective study of a 10-year period was conducted to evaluate 456 infants and children with culture-proven nontyphoidal Salmonella infection. Salmonella typhimurium was the most common isolate found. Among the 257 patients with gastroenteritis who had a concomitant blood culture performed. 50 exhibited bacteremia. Statistically significant differences were noted between patients with gastroenteritis and bacteremia and those without bacterernia in duration of fever greater than or equal to5 days (P < 0.001: OR. 5.6: 95% CI. 2.6-12.1) and infection with group D1 Salmonella (P < 0.001: OR, 6.5, 95% CI, 2.5-16.9) after adjustment for inultivariate analysis. Of the 320 Salmonella strains that were serotyped. Salmonella panama was shown to be strongly associated with bacteremia (P < 0.001) in children with gastroenteritis. In summary, in children with nontyphoidal Salmonella gastroenteritis, prolonged fever lasting 5 days or more and infection with a specific Salmonella serotype were risk factors closely associated with development of bacteremia.