ABSTRACT
Blood infections are life-threatening if not detected and managed properly. This study investigates the correlation between fever and previous antibiotics therapy with differential time to positivrty [DTP] at admitted patients at Nemazee Hospital in Shiraz, southern Iran. From January 2005 to December 2006, 985 positive blood samples in Bactec bottles from the admitted patients at Nemazee Hospital were analyzed. Sensitivity patterns of the bacteria to a panel of antibiotics were determined by the disk diffusion method. S. epidermidis, S. aureus and Acinetobacter were the most prevalent isolates respectively. However, only 100 [20.7%] S. epidermidis samples were the true infections. The most susceptible Gram positive and negative bacteria were S. viridance, S. aureus, H. influenzae, and Brucella spp., respectively. Imipenem, amikacin and ciprofloxacin were the effective ones against Gram negative bacteria, while vancomycin, co-amoxiclav and chloramphenicol were effective against Gram positive ones. Cefuroxime and penicillin G were less effective antibiotics against both Gram negative and positive bacteria. As demonstrated, the combined prescription of vancomycin and imipenem seems to cover the majority of infective agents in the blood whenever an empirical therapy is to be initiated. Moreover, periodic surveillance of antibacterial susceptibility patterns is warranted