Epidemiology and clinical of infections and colonizations caused by Enterobacterales producing carbapenemases in a tertiary hospital

Objetivos

Describir la epidemiologia de las Enterobacterias portadoras de carbapenemasas (EPC) en un hospital de tercer nivel.

Material y métodos

Estudio observacional retrospectivo, se incluyeron todos los pacientes con muestra positiva para EPC atendidos en hospitalización o en el servicio de Urgencias, entre el 1 Enero de 2014 y el 31 de Diciembre de 2016.

Resultados

Se incluyeron 272 pacientes (316 muestras): 155 (57%) varones. Media de edad de 70,4 años (IC 95% 68,2 -72,7). Media del índice de Charlson 3,6 (IC95% 3,4-3,8). En el 63,2% la adquisición fue nosocomial, en el 35,3% fue asociada a cuidados sanitarios (ACS). Presentaron infección el 55,1%, siendo la más frecuente la infección del tracto urinario (ITU) (58,7%). Las especies más frecuentes fueron Klebsiella pneumoniae (62,7%) y Enterobacter cloacae (10,1%). Los tipos de carbapenemasa más frecuente fueron OXA-48 (53,8%) y VIM (43%). La adquisición nosocomial se asoció con el género masculino, trasplante, inmunosupresión, ingreso en Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) o Servicio Quirúrgico, tratamiento antibiótico previo, Enterobacter, VIM, infecciones respiratorias e intraabdominales. La adquisición ACS se asoció con mayor edad y comorbilidad, procedencia de residencia, sondaje vesical, mayor número de procedimientos ambulatorios, ingreso hospitalario previo, K. pneumoniae y E. coli, OXA–48, coproducción de betalactamasas de espectro extendido, ITU y sepsis.

Conclusiones

Los pacientes que adquieren la EPC en residencias presentan frecuentemente infección. Los pacientes con adquisición nosocomial se colonizan por EPC en la UCI, en relación a procedimientos invasivos y trasplante. Esta población presenta mayor mortalidad por desarrollar infecciones respiratorias por EPC.

Antimicrobial stewardship in patients recently transferred to a ward from the ICU

PURPOSE

Inappropriate use of antibiotics is an important health problem that is related to increasing bacterial resistance. Despite its relevance, many health institutions assign very limited resources to improving prescribing practices. An antimicrobial stewardship programme (APS) centred on patients discharged from the ICU could efficiently undertake this task.

METHODS

During this six month study the main activity was performing a programmed review of antimicrobial prescriptions in patients transferred to the ward from the ICU. In the case of inadequate antimicrobial treatment, a recommendation was included in the medical record.

RESULTS

A total of 437 antimicrobial prescriptions for 286 patients were revised during a six month period. In all, 271 prescriptions (62%) were considered inappropriate in 183 patients. The most common reasons for inappropriateness were treating unconfirmed infection (43%), inadequate antimicrobial coverage (34%) and intravenous administration when the oral route was feasible (11%). Proposed recommendations were addressed in 212 cases (78%). There was no significant difference in adherence with respect to the type of recommendation (p=0.417). There was a 5% lower use of antibiotics during the year the study was conducted compared to the previous one.

CONCLUSIONS

ASPs centred on patients discharged from the ICU may be an efficient strategy to ameliorate antimicrobial use in hospitals.

Contamination of liquid soap for hospital use with Raoultella planticola

This article reports the contamination of a batch of liquid soap for hospital use with Raoultella planticola. The micro-organism was first identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae due to the inability of automated systems to characterize this species. There is a need to strengthen the inspection of cosmetic products to be used in the hospital setting. It is recommended that hospitalized patients at the highest risk of infection should use antimicrobial soaps for personal hygiene. The incidence of infections due to R. planticola is unknown as it is usually misclassified as Klebsiella spp. by automated systems.

[Postoperative recurrence of subdural empyema]

We present a case of recurrent subdural post-surgical empyema by Proprionibacterium acnes after a first drained empyema in which no microbiological diagnosis was reached. P. acnes is a gram-positive anaerobic organism which is part of the saprophytic flora of the skin and others parts of the body. However, it can cause infections, as in the central nervous system, especially post-surgical infections in which can be the second more frequent organism after Staphylococcus aureus. P. acnes grows slowly and shows better growth in liquid anaerobic media. It is usually resistant to metronidazol and sensitive to penicillin. In postoperative central nervous system infections we must take into account the possibility of this organism, process the sample properly and keep touch with the Microbiology Department.

[Postsurgical meningitis. Differential characteristics of aseptic postsurgical meningitis]

BACKGROUND

Postsurgical meningitis is a rare complication that is accompanied by an increase of hospital stay and high mortality. Some of these cases are not due to a true infection but due to an aseptic inflammation of the meninges denominated aseptic postsurgical meningitis (APSM). Proper identification of these cases would allow better use of antimicrobial drugs.

METHODS

A retrospective study of patients with postsurgical meningitis in a universitary hospital for 14 years. We describe the clinical characteristics of patients with postsurgical bacterial meningitis (PBM) compared to those of patients with APSM.

RESULTS

During the studied period 35 patients (71%) with PBM and 14 patients (29%) with (APSM) were identified. The mean age of patients with PBM was similar to that of patients with APSM. There was a male predominance in the group of PBM (71%) compared with patients with APSM (36%, p = 0.020). Patients with intracranial hemorrhage tended to present more cases of APSM (64%) than of PBM (34%, p = 0.055). Patients undergoing posterior fossa craniotomy (p = 0.092) and those receiving steroids (p = 0.051) showed a greater tendency to suffer APSM. It was also noted a trend towards present PBM in patients who had suffered an infection in the previous month (p = 0.072). There were seven patients with PBM (20%) with a cell count above 5000 cells/mm3 in CSF, values not found in any patients with APSM. No differences were detected in the glycorrachia and proteinorrachia between the two groups. The most common bacteria isolated were coagulase negative Staphylococcus and S. aureus. In 5 patients (14%) non fermenting gram-negative bacillus (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp) were isolated. There were no deaths attributed to any type of postsurgical meningitis.

CONCLUSION

Patients admitted for brain haemorrhage, undergoing posterior fossa surgery or receiving steroids tend to develop APSM. A CSF cell count above 5000 cells / mm3 strongly suggests MBP.

Evolution of the antimicrobial resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Spain: second national study (2003)

The second national prevalence study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been carried out in Spain. A total of 1250 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from 127 hospitals in 1 week in 2003 and the resistance data gathered from the isolates was compared with those of the first study in 1998 (1014 isolates from 136 hospitals). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed in both studies in the same laboratory. The most active antimicrobials were piperacillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and amikacin (< or =10% resistant) and resistance to these antimicrobials did not change over the time. The least active were ofloxacin and gentamicin (> or =30% resistant). From 1998 to 2003, resistance increased significantly to ciprofloxacin (23% vs. 28%, respectively, p=0.015); ofloxacin (30% vs. 37%, p=0.002); imipenem (14% vs. 18%, p=0.017) and meropenem (8% vs. 13%, p <0.001). Resistance to aztreonam (23%), ceftazidime (16%), cefepime (20%), ticarcillin (13%) and tobramycin (11%) remained stable. Isolates from inpatients were significantly more resistant than those from outpatients to all antimicrobials, with the exception of fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides (p <0.01). Isolates from outpatients were significantly more resistant to these two groups (p <0.05) than to other antimicrobials. In Spain, from 1998 to 2003, the susceptibility pattern of P. aeruginosa to antimicrobial agents has changed. Isolates have become significantly more resistant to fluoroquinolones and carbapenems. However, resistance to beta-lactams and aminoglycosides remains stable.