Multidrug-resistant hospital-associated infections in a pediatric intensive care unit: a cross-sectional survey in a Thai university hospital

Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infections in Pediatric Patients Hospitalized at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Western Saudi Arabia

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections (MDRIs) constitute a major global threat due to increased patient morbidity/mortality and hospital stay/healthcare costs. A few studies from KSA, including our locality, addressed antimicrobial resistance in pediatric patients. This study was performed to recognize the incidence and clinical/microbiologic features of MDRIs in hospitalized pediatric patients. A retrospective cross-sectional study included pediatric patients < 18 years, admitted to King Abdulaziz University Hospital, between October 2021 and November 2022, with confirmed positive cultures of bacteria isolated from blood/body fluids. Patients' medical files provided the required data. MDR organisms (MDROs) were identified in 12.8% of the total cultures. The incidence of MDRIs was relatively high, as it was detected in 42% of patients and in 54.3% of positive bacterial cultures especially among critically ill patients admitted to the NICU and PICU. Pneumonia/ventilator-associated pneumonia was the main type of infection in 37.8% of patients with MDROs. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common significantly isolated MDRO in 39.5% of MDR cultures. Interestingly, a low weight for (no need for their as terminology weight for age is standard and well-known) was the only significant risk factor associated with MDROs (p = 0.02). Mortality was significantly higher (p = 0.001) in patients with MDROs (32.4%) than in patients without MDROs (3.9%). Patients who died including 85.7% of patients with MDROs had significantly longer durations of admission, more cultures, and utilized a larger number of antibiotics than the surviving patients (p = 0.02, p = 0.01, p = 0.04, respectively). This study provided a comprehensive update on the seriously alarming problem of MDROs, and its impacts on pediatric patients. The detected findings are crucial and are a helpful guide to decid for implementing effective strategies to mitigate MDROs.

Antibiotic Stewardship Practices and Prescribing Patterns Across Indian PICUs

OBJECTIVES

To elicit antibiotic prescribing patterns across Indian Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) and assess attributes of the antibiotic stewardship programs.

METHODS

A link to a web-based questionnaire was sent by email to pediatric intensivists across India.

RESULTS

Responses were received from 62 PICUs. Majority of respondents were from private hospitals [49/62 (79.5%)]. The most commonly reported infection requiring PICU admission was community-acquired pneumonia [by 39 (62.9%) PICUs] followed by gastroenteritis [26 (41.9%)], and meningitis [15 (24.1%)]. The blood culture positivity rates varied among participating PICUs with 37 centers (59.6%) reporting low blood culture positivity yield (< 40%). Majority of the respondents acknowledged using a 7-d course of antibiotics even in culture-negative sepsis. Most common empiric antibiotics prescribed for community-acquired infections were beta-lactam monotherapy. The typical beta-lactam prescribed was ceftriaxone. However, for hospital-acquired infections (HAI), such as suspected catheter-related bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a higher number of respondents-39/62 (61.9%) and 33/62 (53.2%), respectively, prescribed combination antibiotics (β-lactam + vancomycin). Forty-two units (67.7%) reported having an antibiotic stewardship program in their PICUs, while twenty-nine (45.1%) centers stated having formulary restrictions. Ten (16.1%) centers had pre-authorization policy for certain antibiotics.

CONCLUSION

A rather diverse pattern of prescribing and administration practices exists across different Indian PICUs. While antibiotic stewardship programmes are established in most centers, formulary restriction and pre-authorisation of antibiotic prescribing were reported by few units. Regular surveillance studies are needed to bring uniformity in antibiotic policy and select appropriate empiric therapy.

Factors associated with multidrug-resistant bacteria in healthcare-associated infections: a pediatric intensive care unit case-control study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of factors related to healthcare-associated infections, caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, in a pediatric intensive care unit.

METHODS

A retrospective case-control study conducted from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2018, in São Paulo (SP), Brazil. The study was carried out at the pediatric intensive care unit of a high-complexity, tertiary care general hospital. The study included patients aged 1 month to 19 years, admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, diagnosed as healthcare-associated infections.

RESULTS

There was significant evidence of infection by multidrug-resistant bacteria associated with immunosuppressed patients (p<0.001), in whom the likelihood of multidrug-resistant bacteria infection was estimated to be nine-fold higher than among non-immunosuppressed patients (OR 8.97; 95%CI 2.69-29.94). In the analysis of multiple logistic regression model, we observed that immunosuppressed patients had an 8.5-fold higher chance of multidrug-resistant bacteria infection when compared to non-immunosuppressed patients (OR 8.48; 95%CI 2.54-28.35; p=0.001). There is evidence of association between the Case Group and presence of Gram-positive (p=0.007), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (p<0.001), and Gram-negative (p=0.041) microorganisms.

CONCLUSION

The immunocompromised-state variable is a factor related to healthcare-associated infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, and the Case Group presented higher proportions of Gram-positive microorganisms and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus.

Acceptance and outcome of interventions in a meropenem de-escalation antimicrobial stewardship program in pediatrics

BACKGROUND

Prospective audit and feedback is a method that allows the antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) team to interact with attending physicians to tailor antibiotic therapy, including de-escalation, as appropriate. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptance and outcomes of ASP de-escalation recommendations in children who received meropenem.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted in children aged 1 month to 18 years who received meropenem in a tertiary-care teaching hospital. The ASP team gave recommendation between 72 and 120 h after initiating meropenem therapy. Acceptance of de-escalation recommendations among primary physicians was evaluated within 24 h of recommendation. Outcomes included clinical success rate on the 7th day and incidence rate of acquisition of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB) within 30 days.

RESULTS

From March to December 2019, 217 children with a median (interquartile range) age of 2.1 (0.6, 9.5) years received meropenem. The ASP team gave recommendations in 127 (58.5%) of cases for continuation of meropenem therapy and 90 (41.5%) of cases for de-escalation. The overall acceptance of ASP de-escalation recommendations was 57.8% (95%CI: 46.9-68.1%). Clinical success rates were 85.2% in the accepted group compared to 77.5% in the rejected group (P = 0.06). The incidence rate of acquisition of CR-GNB within 30 days after treatment was 5.8% in the accepted group and 15.8% in the rejected group (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

About half of the recommendations to de-escalate meropenem prescriptions were accepted through the ASP intervention. Carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria acquisitions was less likely in the de-escalation group. A robust de-escalation strategy 72 h following carbapenem initiation should be encouraged to combat multidrug-resistant organisms.

Incidence of emerging multidrug-resistant organisms and its impact on the outcome in the pediatric intensive care

Background

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) are a worldwide threat in intensive care units particularly in the pediatric intensive care units with a major cause of morbidity and mortality among this age group. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors predisposing to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) infections among pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients at Ain Shams Pediatric University Hospitals as well as determining mortality and morbidity rates along with the length of stay at PICU.

Results

Culture results revealed that of the 282 patients evaluated, only 26 (9.2%) were MDROs (half of the affected patients had Acinetobacter species (50%) and the rest of them were free, 256 (90.8%). Our study revealed that the majority of MDROs were isolated from sputum in more than half of the patients 19/32 (59.3%) followed by whole blood in 10/32 (31.2%) and urine in 3/32 (9.4%). Pulmonary system was the most common affected site and was mainly colonized by MDR Acinetobacter (71.4%) followed by MDR Klebsiella (41.6%). Regarding MDR risk factors in our PICU, multivariate logistic regression analyses showed significant relationship between MDROs and age under 1 year (odds ratio [OR] 2.4554; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] (1.072–5.625); p = 0.043) and underlying pulmonary disease (OR 2.417; 95% CI (1.014–5.761); p = 0.592). A statistically significant higher mortality was detected in patients colonized with MDROs 9/26 (34.6%) versus MDROs non-colonized patients 32/256 (12.5%) [P=0.002]. Moreover, MDROs infection has negative significant risk with discharged patients ([OR] 0.269; [95% CI] (0.111–0.656); p = 0.002). Additionally, patients infected with MDROs did have significantly greater PICU stay than those non-infected [median (IQR), 16.5 (10.7–22), 5 (4–8), P=0.00] and have longer ventilation [median (IQR), 15.5 (10–18), 3 (2–10), P=0.00].

Conclusion

Prevalence of MDROs (9.2%) was low among PICU cases at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Most common MDROs were Acinetobacter and Klebsiella followed by pseudomonas species. The frequency of gram-negative organisms is much more common than gram-positive organisms. An increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance with increasing mortality and morbidity among PICU patients is observed worldwide; even for new categories, so, strict infection control programs should be implemented.

Antibiotic Surveillance in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Sanglah Hospital Denpasar in the Year of 2015-2017

Background:

Antibiotic surveillance in hospital settings is mandatory for optimal antibiotic therapy for the patient. Only a small number of studies have focused on antibiotic surveillance in hospitalized newborns, infants, and children.

Objectives:

The goal was to evaluate antibiotic use in our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and evaluate it for a possible association with the length of PICU stay.

Methods:

A retrospective, observational, cohort study was conducted from January 2015 to April 2017, involving subjects who were hospitalized in the PICU at Sanglah Hospital. The inclusion criteria were children aged between 1-month-12-years old, who had a blood culture and antibiotic sensitivity test result in their medical record. The exclusion criteria were incomplete medical records, blood cultures showing 2 types of bacteria at the same time (gram-positive and negative), or contaminated blood results. Factors associated with mortality were analyzed using a Chi-square test, with p < 0.05 considered to be statistically significant and the Risk Ratio (RR) of the associated factors was determined by 95% CI.

Results:

Multivariate analysis showed that the significant predictors of PICU length of stay were the appropriate continuation of antibiotics (RR 1.19; 95% CI 1.043 to 1.373; P = 0.047). There were also significant results for antibiotic compatibility and length of stay (RR 3.6; 95% CI 0.869 to 15.428; P = 0.049).

Conclusion:

Appropriate continuation of antibiotics and the compatibility of continuation antibiotics were significant predictors of length of PICU stay based on multivariate analysis.

A Systematic Review of the Burden of Multidrug-Resistant Healthcare-Associated Infections Among Intensive Care Unit Patients in Southeast Asia: The Rise of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical burden (cumulative incidence, prevalence, case fatality rate and length of stay) and economic burden (healthcare cost) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) among patients in intensive care units (ICUs) in Southeast Asia.DESIGNSystematic review.METHODSWe conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, EconLit, and the Cochrane Library databases from their inception through September 30, 2016. Clinical and economic burdens and study quality were assessed for each included study.RESULTSIn total, 41 studies met our inclusion criteria; together, 22,876 ICU patients from 7 Southeast Asian countries were included. The cumulative incidence of HAI caused by A. baumannii (AB) in Southeast Asia is substantially higher than has been reported in other regions, especially carbapenem-resistant AB (CRAB; 64.91%) and multidrug-resistant AB (MDR-AB) (58.51%). Evidence of a dose-response relationship between different degrees of drug resistance and excess mortality due to AB infections was observed. Adjusted odds ratios were 1.23 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-3.00) for MDR-AB, 1.72 (95% CI, 0.77-3.80) for extensively drug-resistant AB (XDR-AB), and 1.82 (95% CI, 0.55-6.00) for pandrug-resistant AB (PDR-AB). There is, however, a paucity of published data on additional length of stay and costs attributable to MDROs.CONCLUSIONSThis review highlights the challenges in addressing MDROs in Southeast Asia, where HAIs caused by MDR gram-negative bacteria are abundant and have a strong impact on society. With our findings, we hope to draw the attention of clinicians and policy makers to the problem of antibiotic resistance and to issue a call for action in the management of MDROs.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:525-533.

Impact of Conversion from an Open Ward Design Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Environment to All Isolated Rooms Environment on Incidence of Bloodstream Infections and Antibiotic Resistance in Southern Israel (2000 to 2008)

We studied the epidemiology, microbiology, clinical aspects and outcome of bloodstream infections (BSI) in a tertiary paediatric intensive care unit. All BSI episodes were prospectively identified and analysed. The paediatric intensive care unit moved in 2006 from an open-plan unit to a new (all single room) unit. Three hundred and fifty-three BSI episodes occurred in 299 of 4162 patients. Overall, BSI incidence was 85 per 1000 hospitalised children. Fewer BSI episodes occurred during the last two years of the study (2007 to 2008), compared with 2000 to 2006 (70 of 1061 admissions, 6.5% versus 283 of 3101 admissions, 9.1%, respectively, P=0.01). There were 127 of 340 (37.4%) community-acquired and 213 of 340 (62.6%) nosocomial BSI episodes (31 of 1000 and 51 of 1000, respectively). Nosocomial BSI episodes decreased during 2007 to 2008 versus 2000 to 2006 (37.7% versus 55.8%, P=0.03). In 448 instances, pathogens were isolated, 231 (52%) Gram-positive and 188 (42%) Gram-negative. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci, S. pneumoniae and S. aureus (41.1%, 19.9% and 11.7%, respectively) were the most common Gram-positive and Enterobacteriaceae spp. the most frequent Gram-negative organisms (45.2%, of them Klebsiella spp. and E. coli 40% and 29.4%, respectively). A significant decrease was recorded during 2007 to 2008 in Enterobacteriaceae resistance to piperacillin, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. Thirty of 299 (10%, 9 with S. pneumoniae-BSI) patients died. A significant decrease in BSI and nosocomial incidence and Enterobacteriaceae spp. antibiotic resistance was recorded following the conversion of the paediatric intensive care unit from an open ward to an all isolated rooms environment.