Defining Physiological Predictors of Peripartum Maternal Bacteremia.

Objective: This study aims to examine physiological and laboratory parameters associated with peripartum maternal bacteremia.

Methods: This case-control study matched 115 cases (women with fever and bacteremia during the peripartum period) to 285 controls (defined as the next two febrile women with negative blood cultures at the same institution) from two academic medical centers from 2009 to 2013. Conditional logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of physiological and laboratory parameters with maternal bacteremia at the time of initial and maximum fever.

Results: At the time of initial fever, temperature > 103°F (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.05-15.19) and respiratory rate (RR) > 20 respirations per minute (aOR: 5.27, 95% CI: 2.32-11.96) were associated with bacteremia. At the time of maximum fever, temperature (> 102°F, aOR: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.61-7.06; > 103°F, aOR: 7.96, 95% CI: 3.56-17.82), heart rate > 110 beats per minute (aOR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.21-3.99), and RR > 20 (aOR: 3.65, 95% CI: 1.65-8.08) were associated with bacteremia. Bandemia > 10% (aOR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.07-5.54) was associated with bacteremia.

Conclusions: Physiological and laboratory parameters associated with maternal bacteremia differed from those reported with sepsis in the adult critical care population. Further studies of objective markers are needed to improve detection and treatment of peripartum bacteremia.