We included data from 187 patients (125 SD, 66.8% and 62 ISEE, 33.2%). Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) were overall more frequently detected than gram-negative bacteria (GNB) (GPB: 162, 86.6% vs. GNB: 25, 13.4%,
p < 0.001). Infective endocarditis was caused only by GPB (GPB: 23, 16.5% vs. GNB: 0, 0.0%,
p = 0.046). Methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated strain (MSSA: n = 100, 53.5%), occurred more frequently in the cervical spine compared to other bacteria (OB) (MSSA: 41, 41.0% vs. OB: 18, 20.7%,
p = 0.004) and was most frequently detected in patients with skin infection as the primary source of infection (MSSA: 26, 40.6% vs. OB: 11, 16.7%,
p = 0.002).
Streptococcus spp. and
Enterococcus spp. (SE: n = 31, 16.6%) were more often regarded as the cause of endocarditis (SE: 8, 27.6% vs. OB: 15, 11.4%,
p = 0.037) and were less frequently detected in intraoperative specimens (SE: 19, 61.3% vs. OB: 138, 88.5%,
p < 0.001). Enterobacterales (E: n = 20, 10.7%) were identified more frequently in urinary tract infections (E: 9, 50.0% vs. OB: 4, 3.6%,
p < 0.001). Coagulase-negative
Staphylococci (CoNS: n = 20, 10.7%) were characterized by a lower prevalence of sepsis (CoNS: 4, 20.0% vs. OB: 90, 53.9%,
p = 0.004) and were more frequently detected in intraoperative specimens (CoNS: 20, 100. 0% vs. OB: 137, 82.0%,
p = 0.048). Moreover, CoNS-associated cases showed a shorter length of ICU stay (CoNS: 2 [
1‐
18] days vs. OB: 6 [1–53] days, median [interquartile range],
p = 0.037), and occurred more frequently due to foreign body-associated infections (CoNS: 8, 61.5% vs. OB: 15, 12.8%,
p = 0.008). The presence of methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prolonged hospital stay by 56 [24–58] days and ICU stay by 16 [1–44] days, whereas patients with
Pseudomonas aeruginosa spent only 20 [
18‐
29] days in the hospital and no day in the ICU 0 [0–5] days.