Comparison of patient characteristics, clinical management, infectious specialist consultation, and outcome in men and women with methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a propensity-score adjusted retrospective study

Multicenter retrospective study of methicillin-sensitive (MS-) SAB patients categorized according to sex and ISC consultation provided within 7 days of diagnosis.

Altogether 617 SAB patients were included in the analysis: 62% males and 38% females. Male sex was associated less often to nosocomial bacteremia (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50–0.96, p = 0.029) and more often to alcoholism (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.31–3.87, p = 0.003). No sex-related differences were seen in basic or immunologic laboratory tests, illness severity, intensive care unit treatment or thromboembolic events. ISC was provided to most patients (94%) irrespective of sex. No differences were seen in clinical management of men or women: Transthoracic or -esophageal echocardiography (61% vs. 65%), deep infection (77% vs. 72%), infection removal (30% vs. 27%) and anti-staphylococcal antibiotics as first-line treatment (54% vs. 51%). However, male sex was connected to more frequent adjunctive rifampicin treatment (52% vs. 41%, p = 0.025). No difference in 28- or 90-day mortality (13% vs. 13% and 18% vs. 20%) or SAB relapse (0% vs. 1%) was observed between men and women. Propensity-score adjusted Cox proportional analysis gave no connection of sex to mortality within 90 days.

Patient characteristics, clinical management, ISC guidance, bacteremia relapse, and outcome did not differ in men and women with MS-SAB.