Breaking Update: Here’s a clear explanation of the latest developments related to Breaking News:Short Blood Culture Timing Tied to Endocarditis – European Medical Journal Streptococcus agalactiae Bacteremia and TTP– What Just Happened and why it matters right now.
IN Streptococcus agalactiae bacteremia, faster blood culture positivity was linked to infective endocarditis in adults overall.
Streptococcus agalactiae Bacteremia in Adults
Time to blood culture positivity (TTP) has been suggested as a marker of disease severity in bloodstream infection, but its clinical value can vary by pathogen and outcome. In this retrospective, population-based study, investigators examined adult episodes of S. agalactiae bacteremia in southern Sweden from 2016 to 2023, describing clinical characteristics and testing whether TTP was associated with patient outcomes.
A total of 463 patients were included, with a median age of 72 years (interquartile range: 62 to 82). The authors reported that cases occurred predominantly in older adults and were more common in men. Skin and soft tissue infections were the most common focus of infection, reinforcing that invasive disease in adults often presents with an identifiable source outside the central nervous system.
The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included infective endocarditis, development of sepsis, and clinical deterioration within 48 hours of blood culture collection.
Time to Blood Culture Positivity in Streptococcus agalactiae Bacteremia
Overall, 30-day mortality was 9% (40 patients). TTP analyses were available for 411 patients. The study found no statistically significant difference in TTP between patients who died within 30 days and those who survived, with median values of 8.6 hours versus 9.1 hours, respectively.
Infective endocarditis was identified in 23 patients. Here, TTP did differ. Patients with infective endocarditis had a shorter median TTP than those without infective endocarditis (7.5 hours versus 9.1 hours), and this difference was statistically significant.
Why These Findings Matter
Taken together, the results suggest that, in S. agalactiae bacteremia, shorter TTP may have limited value for predicting 30-day mortality or early sepsis outcomes. Instead, a shorter TTP may help identify patients at higher risk of infective endocarditis, supporting a potential role for TTP in early risk recognition within this clinical presentation.
Reference: Sunnerhagen T et al. Bacteraemia with Streptococcus agalactiae – an observational study on clinical aspects and time to blood culture positivity. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2026; DOI:10.1007/s10096-026-05411-w.