[Bacteremia in patients discharged from the emergency unit].

Background: To know the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics, the evolution and the rate of adequate empiric antibiotic treatment in adult patients with a bacteremia discovered after discharge from an emergency unit.

Patients And Method: During 10 years (1989-1998), we registered the clinical and epidemiological data from patients with a bacteremia detected after discharge from emergency. The results were compared with those of patients admitted to hospital who had a community-acquired bacteremia.