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Objectives:  Patients with bacteremia have a high mortality and generally require urgent treatment. The authors conducted a study to describe bacteremic patients in emergency departments (EDs) and to identify risk factors for mortality.

Methods:  Bacteremic patients in EDs were identified retrospectively at a university hospital from January 2007 to December 2007. Demographic characteristics, underlying illness, clinical conditions, microbiology, and the source of bacteremia were collected and analyzed for their association with 28‐day mortality.

Results:  During the study period, 621 cases (50.2% male) were included, with a mean (±SD) age of 62.8 (±17.4) years. The most common underlying disease was diabetes mellitus (39.3%). Escherichia coli (39.2%) was the most frequently isolated pathogen. The most common source of bacteremia was urinary tract infection (41.2%), followed by primary bacteremia …