AUTHOR=Adar Assaf , Zayyad Hiba , Azrad Maya , Libai Kozita , Aharon Ilana , Nitzan Orna , Peretz Avi 

TITLE=Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Patients With a New Diagnosis of Carriage or Clinical Infection With Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales: A Retrospective Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.616793

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.616793

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> To examine the clinical, demographic, and microbiologic characteristics of new rectal carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant <italic>Enterobacterales</italic> (CP-CRE) carriers vs. those with a clinical infection, hospitalized at Padeh-Poriya Medical Center between 2014 and 2017 and to examine the susceptibility profiles of isolates from clinical infections.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In this retrospective, chart analysis, demographic and clinical data were collected from medical charts of 175 adult patients with either new- onset carbapenemase-producing <italic>Enterobacterales</italic> (CPE) carriage or clinical CPE infection. Collected data included age, ethnic group, place of residence, hospitalizations in the past 90 days, and 30-day mortality. Microbiological analyses considered bacterial genus, molecular resistance mechanism and antibiotic susceptibility.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> A significantly higher percentage (42.4%) of CPE carriers were long-term care facility residents, and had been recently hospitalized (56.3%), as compared to patients with clinical CPE infection (29.2 and 45.9%, respectively). Additionally, we noted a high (58.3%) acquision of CPE in our hospital. The most common bacterial isolate was <italic>K. pneumoniae</italic> and the most common resistance mechanism was <italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae</italic> (<italic>K. pneumoniae)</italic> carbapenemases (KPC). High susceptibility rates to amikacin and chloramphenicol were also noted.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> This study reaffirmed the importance of CPE screening and infection control measures. The observed antibiotic susceptibility profile suggests amikacin and chloramphenicol as potential treatments for CPE infection.</p>