Background: Bloodstream infections are the most common type of healthcare-associated infections in which the proportion of secondary bloodstream infections (SBSIs) is noticeably high. SBSIs can result in negative patient outcomes and additional care costs. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of SBSIs among hospitalized patients, identify potential predictors of SBSIs, and explore the prognoses of community-acquired and healthcare-associated SBSIs. Methods: This study was conducted with 237 adult patients with SBSIs in a general hospital in 2015. Results: The most common primary infection among SBSIs was urinary tract infection (UTI). The most common pathogens were Escherichia coli for UTI and Staphylococcus aureus for pneumonia. Mortality due to SBSIs was 4.24 times higher among patients in intensive care units than among those in general units; mortality also increased by 1.24 times as the APACHE II scores increased by 1 point. Conclusion: Patients with UTI and pneumonia are at high risk for developing SBSIs. Further research is needed to identify risk factors for SBSIs by comparing SBSI and non-SBSI cases in a case-control study.

Keywords: Bacteremia, Infection, Infection control