Introduction: National surveillance of nosocomial bacteremia (NB) was restricted to intensive care units in 2005. In 2012, the National Prevalence Survey (ENP) of nosocomial infections reported a prevalence of NB of 0.5%. The objective of this study was to compare NB rates in intensive care units and outside of intensive care units. Method: Data were obtained from the 2012 ENP. Analyses focused on the prevalence of NB, their distribution by type of hospital stay, and their source. A multivariate analysis examined factors associated with NB. Results: Among the 216,387 patients included, 2.4% were hospitalized in the ICU, 65.9% in short-stay units, and 31.7% in follow-up and rehabilitation care (SSR). The prevalence of BN was 3.2%, 0.6%, and 0.2%, respectively. Only 14.9% of BIs were recorded in the ICU, compared with 74.8% in short-stay care. Catheter-related BIs accounted for 42.0% of BIs in the ICU, 44.7% in short-stay care, and 19.0% in SSR. Non-catheter-related NIs were more often secondary to pneumonia in the ICU (15.3%), to a urinary tract infection in short-stay care (25.4%), or in SSR (45.7%). The occurrence of an NI was associated with numerous patient-related factors, the main one being catheter exposure. After adjustment, the risk of developing a BN in the ICU did not differ significantly from that in the short-stay ward. Conclusion: In the 2012 ENP, while the prevalence of BNs was higher in the ICU, three-quarters of BNs occurred in the short-stay ward. The most common cause was catheter exposure, in both the short-stay ward and the ICU. Prevention and surveillance efforts should be expanded to include at-risk patients outside of the ICU, particularly those with catheters. (R.A.)