Objective. To describe the profile of elderly patients with bacteremic urinary tract infections (UTI) and correlate clinical and laboratory findings with the outcome in order to identify independent predictors of mortality.

Methods. This retrospective study took place in a large community-based, geriatric hospital and included 191 patients aged 75–105 years with urine and blood cultures simultaneously positive for bacterial organisms. Records were analysed for demographic information, clinical and laboratory data over a 29 month period. Mortality was assessed and was correlated with these findings.

Results. Most of the patients (80.1%) had community-acquired infection. Gram-negative organisms accounted for 87.6% of bacterial isolates, with Escherichia coli accounting for 46.1% of cases. Non-Escherichia coli Gram-negative organisms were highly resistant to two common urinary tract antibiotics (gentamicin and ceftriaxone). Patients with chronic urinary catheter had Gram-negative bacteria significantly less sensitive to ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, ampicillin and ceftriaxon than patients without catheter (p<0.05). In-hospital mortality was 33%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that mortality was significantly related to the number of underlying diagnoses (p<0.0203), cognitive status (p<0.0003), length of hospitalization (p<0.0397), low level of serum albumin (p<0.0021), high neutrophil count (p<0.0001) and high level of lactate dehydrogenase (p<0.0351). Fatality was not associated with advanced age in the very old.

Conclusion. Bacteremic UTI in the elderly has a high mortality rate. In frail elderly patients with age-associated multiple severe underlying disorders and cognitive impairment, early recognition of bacteremic UTI and prompt, appropriate treatment are critical in reducing the mortality.