Patient demographics.

a Healthcare-associated infections were defined as (i) index positive blood culture collected ≥48hrs after hospital admission, and no signs or symptoms of the infection noted at time of admission; OR (ii) index positive blood culture collected <48hrs after hospital admission if any of the following criteria are met: received intravenous therapy in an ambulatory setting in the 30 days before onset of BSI, attended a hospital clinic or haemodialysis in the 30 days before onset of BSI, hospitalised in an acute care hospital for ≥ 2 days in the 90 days prior to onset of BSI, resident of nursing home or long-term care facility.
bStaphylococcus aureus bacteraemia was defined as uncomplicated if all of the following criteria were met: exclusion of endocarditis; no evidence of metastatic infection; absence of implanted prostheses; follow-up blood cultures at 2–4 days culture-negative for S. aureus; defervescence within 72 h of initiating effective therapy. Percentages shown are of entire S. aureus BSI population.
† Three patients had chronic diabetic foot ulcers as a source of their S. aureus BSI, and in all cases the contiguous underlying bone was also found to be infected.
MRSA = methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. NA = not applicable. BSI = bloodstream infection.
Data are displayed as median (interquartile range) and number (percentage). P values are calculated by Mann-Whitney and Fisher’s exact test respectively.