Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Pediatric Patients: Uncovering a Rural Health Challenge

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia poses significant risk for morbidity and mortality. This may be exacerbated in rural populations facing unique health challenges. METHODS: To investigate factors influencing S. aureus bacteremia outcomes, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of children admitted to St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH) from 2011 to 2019. Exposures included rurality (defined by the Rural-Urban Continuum Code), Area Deprivation Index, and outside hospital (OSH) admission before SLCH admission. The primary outcome was treatment failure, a composite of 90-day all-cause mortality and hospital readmission. RESULTS: Of 251 patients, 69 (27%) were from rural areas; 28 (11%) were initially admitted to an OSH. Treatment failure occurred in 39 (16%) patients. Patients from rural areas were more likely to be infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (45%) vs urban children (29%; P = .02). Children initially admitted to an OSH, vs those presenting directly to SLCH, were more likely to require intensive care unit–level (ICU) care (57% vs 29%; P = .002), have an endovascular source of infection (32% vs 12%; P = .004), have a longer duration of illness before hospital presentation (4.1 vs 3.0 days; P = .04), and have delayed initiation of targeted antibiotic therapy (3.9 vs 2.6 days; P = .01). Multivariable analysis revealed rural residence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1–5.0), comorbidities (aOR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3–6.2), and ICU admission (aOR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.9–8.3) as predictors of treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS: Children from rural areas face barriers to specialized health care. These challenges may contribute to severe illness and worse outcomes among children with S. aureus bacteremia.