Women are nearly 20% more likely to die from Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia than men, with gender bias in healthcare delivery potentially to blame, a new study shows.

US and Dutch researchers, who reviewed mortality data from 133,000 patients across 89 studies, said it was difficult to pinpoint a single explanation for the disparity given conflicting evidence.

But they said their findings were in line with several studies showing higher mortality rates in women with hospital-acquired bloodstream infection, severe sepsis and endocarditis.

“Future research should focus on understanding the underlying causes and on promoting better outcomes in female patients with [S. aureus bacteremia],” the authors wrote in JAMA Network Open.