Interpretation
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0–1 | Low acute severity |
| 2–3 | Intermediate |
| ≥4 | Critical illness; markedly higher mortality |
Formula
Temperature: ≤35.0 °C 2, 35.1–36.0 1, 36.1–38.9 0, 39.0–39.9 1, ≥40.0 2 · hypotension 2 · mechanical ventilation 2 · cardiac arrest 4 · mental status: alert 0, disoriented 1, stuporous 2, comatose 4
Clinical pearls
- Score the worst values within 48 hours before or on the day of the first positive blood culture.
- Widely used as a severity covariate in bacteremia research (e.g. Gram-negative and S. aureus studies) rather than for bedside decisions.
Examples
pitt bacteremia temp 40.2 hypotensive intubated disorientedpitt score for a patient with temperature 37, alert, no pressors, not ventilatedbacteremia severity score temp 35 stuporous on pressors
FAQ
What Pitt bacteremia score is critical illness?
A score of 4 or more is conventionally used to define critical illness.
What is the maximum Pitt score?
14 points (temperature 2, hypotension 2, ventilation 2, cardiac arrest 4, coma 4).
Evidence
- Paterson DL et al. International prospective study of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia: implications of extended-spectrum β-lactamase production in nosocomial infections. Ann Intern Med 2004;140:26–32.
- Chow JW et al. Enterobacter bacteremia: clinical features and emergence of antibiotic resistance during therapy. Ann Intern Med 1991;115:585–90.