Afebrile Bacteremia in Adult Emergency Department Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes

Abstract

Cirrhotic patients with bacteremia are at an increased risk of organ failure and mortality. In addition, they can develop serious infection without fever because of their impaired immune response. Our study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes in afebrile bacteremic patients with liver cirrhosis. A single-center, retrospective cohort study was performed on adult patients who visited the emergency department from January 2015 to December 2018. All patients with bacteremia and diagnosis of liver cirrhosis were enrolled and classified as either afebrile or febrile. In total, 104 bacteremic patients with liver cirrhosis (afebrile: 55 patients and, febrile: 49) were included in the study. Compared with the febrile group, patients in the afebrile group showed a significantly higher rate of inappropriate antibiotics administration (43.6% vs. 20.4%, p = 0.01). They were also at an increased risk of 30-day mortality (40% vs. 18.4%, p = 0.02), intensive care unit transfer (38.2% vs. 18.4%, p = 0.03) and endotracheal intubation (27.3% vs. 10.2%, p = 0.03). The afebrile state was also an independent risk factor associated with 30-day mortality in cirrhotic patients with bacteremia. Clinicians should perform a prudent evaluation in cirrhotic patients and carefully monitor for possible signs of serious infection even in the absence of fever.