BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) bacteremia is an increasingly common and often fatal nosocomial infection. Identification of morbidity and mortality risk factors for AB bacteremia in emergency department (ED) patients may provide ways to improve the clinical outcomes of these patients.METHODS: The records for 51 patients with AB bacteremia and 51 patients without AB infection were collected and matched in a retrospective case-control study between 2013 and 2015 in a single-center ED. Risk factors were analyzed by Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression statistical models. RESULTS: A signifi cant risk factor for morbidity was the presence of a central venous catheter (CVC) (P<0.001). The mortality rate for the 51 patients with AB bacteremia was 68.6％. Risk factors for mortality were the presence of a CVC (P=0.021) and an ED stay longer than two weeks (P=0.015). CONCLUSION: AB infections lead to high morbidity and mortality. The presence of a CVC was associated with higher morbidity and mortality in patients with AB bacteremia. Avoiding CVC insertions may improve outcomes in ED patients with AB bacteremia.