The incidence of bloodstream infections in patients with diabetic foot infections was found to be 19.8%, according to the results of a new study presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida.

A total of 227 patients with blood cultures were evaluated, with 45 (19.8%) found to have bloodstream infections. One patient (2.2%) was diagnosed with endocarditis.

Concordance between wound culture and blood culture pathogens was observed in 66.7% of cases. Polymicrobial infections were significantly more common in diabetic foot infections compared with bloodstream infections (48.7% vs, 11.1%, respectively). 

The meta-analysis utilized pooled patient-level data from three randomized controlled trials. Moderate and severe infections were defined according to criteria from the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot classification. Bloodstream infections were identified as positive blood cultures at admission, and endocarditis was diagnosed by echocardiogram. 

Concordance between blood cultures and intraoperative wound cultures was assessed, defined as isolation of the same pathogen in both types of cultures.

The authors declared no competing interests.