Bacteraemia
Bacteraemia occurs when bacteria get into the bloodstream. Bloodstream infection is also sometimes called septicaemia, which implies greater severity/clinical significance. A wide variety of bacteria can cause bacteraemias, the two most common being Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.
Photo: Janice Carr / CDC
The HPA undertakes surveillance of bacteraemia by collecting information from hospital microbiology laboratories. For some organisms ( Staphylococcus aureus and glycopeptide-resistant enterococci) it is mandatory for hospitals to supply data but for other species of bacteria data is supplied on a voluntary basis. In addition, sentinel surveillance is undertaken by the reference laboratories where isolates are sent in by sentinel laboratories for centralised testing for susceptibility to antibiotics. This data can be used to help clinicians choose the best antibiotics.
What's new
- 22 January 2010: Voluntary surveillance data for polymicrobial bacteraemia/fungaemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2004-2008
- 18 December 2009: Voluntary surveillance data for Acinetobacter spp. bacteraemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2004-2008
- 20 November 2009: Pyogenic and non pyogenic Streptococcus spp. bacteraemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 2004 to 2008
- 20 November 2009: Voluntary surveillance of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 2004 to 2008
- 20 November 2009: Enterococcus spp. and group D Streptococcus spp. bacteraemia in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: 2004-2008
- 21 August 2009: Escherichia coli bacteraemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 2004 to 2008
- 17 April 2009:
Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia, and Citrobacter spp. bacteraemia, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: 2004-2008 (PDF, 235 KB) - 20 March 2009:Proteus spp., Morganella morganii, and Providencia spp. bacteraemia reports for England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 2004 to 2008 (PDF, 211 KB)
- 21 December 2007: Uncommon pathogens involved in bacteraemia, England , Wales and Northern Ireland : 2001-2006
