Comparison of Clinical, Laboratory Findings and Complications in Bacteriemic and Nonbacteriemic Brucellosis: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Objective: Brucellosis is a systemic zoonosis that affects various organs or body systems and can mimic many diseases. Symptoms can range from acute febrile illness to chronic clinical manifestations with severe complications. In our study, we investigated the relationship between bacteremia and clinical and laboratory findings, and complications in patients with brucellosis.
 Material and Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three patients diagnosed with brucellosis between 2005 and 2020 in the department of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology of a tertiary care university hospital were included in the study. Rose Bengal test, Brucella standard tube agglutination test and culture (blood and/or bone marrow culture) were used for the diagnosis of brucellosis. The patients were divided into two groups according to their bacteremia status. Patients with positive culture were identified as bacteremia, and patients with negative culture were identified as non-bacteriemic.
 
 Results: A total of 223 patients were included in the study, of which 142 (63.7%) were male. While weight loss, fever and hematological complications were higher in bacteremia cases (p=0.001, p