Utility of echocardiogram in neutropenic patients with gram positive bacteremia - a retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Hemato-oncology patients are vulnerable to bloodstream infections due to immunocompromised state and use of intravascular catheters. Data regarding risk of infective endocarditis (IE) among those with gram positive bacteremia is limited. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of IE among neutropenic hemato-oncology patients, and to explore the yield of echocardiogram in this population.

METHODS: we conducted a single retrospective study of all hospitalized hemato-oncology neutropenic patients with gram positive blood cultures between 2007 and 2021. Data regarding Patients' characteristics, blood cultures and echocardiogram was collected.

RESULTS: Study included 241 patients, with 283 isolates. Coagulase negative staphylococcus (CONS) were the most commonly isolates found, followed by streptococcus viridans. Trans thoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 45% of patients overall, of which 5.8% had additional Trans esophageal echocardiogram (TEE). Only a single case of IE was identified; 47 y/o multiple myeloma patient with neutropenic fever, streptococcus viridans bacteremia, and stroke caused by septic emboli. TTE and TEE failed to demonstrate valvular pathology consistent with IE. Conclusion In our experience, the yield of echocardiogram in hemato-oncological neutropenic patients with bacteremia is extremely low, owing to reduced probability of IE in this population, and thus could be avoided in most cases.