Haemophilus influenzae bacteremia: A 5-year (2016-2020) retrospective study analysing the clinical and laboratory features

Abstract

Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) causes invasive disease like bacteremia which is rarely diagnosed. We conducted this retrospective study of H. influenzae bacteremia diagnosed between January 2016 and December 2020. Nineteen patients were identified. Majority were children ≤5 years of age (84.2%), inpatients (89.5%), males (78.9%) and admitted in ICUs (26.6%). The most common underlying primary diagnosis was malignancy. These isolates were most susceptible to carbapenems (100%) followed by cefotaxime (83.3%) and ampicillin (82.4%). The overall mortality rate was 33.3%. Increased mortality resulted in those admitted in ICUs with H. influenzae bacteremia episode along with polymicrobial/co-isolates infection.

Keywords: Antimicrobial susceptibility; Bacteremia; Haemophilus influenzae; Invasive disease; Risk factor.