A Cohort Study of the Impact of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections on Mortality of Patients Presenting with Sepsis

Abstract

The importance of this work relies on exploring the impact of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections such as those with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) on sepsis mortality. These infections are growing at alarming rates worldwide and are now among the most frequent and difficult-to-treat bacteria due to the very few options for susceptible antimicrobials available. This study examined 1,190 sepsis episodes, and the main findings were as follows: (i) the prevalence of CRE infections significantly increased over time, (ii) CRE infection was associated with higher 30-day mortality than that of patients with other infections (63.8% versus 33.4%), and (iii) the effect of CRE on mortality was probably influenced by the fact that those patients received lower rates of empirical therapy with active antibiotics and were also diagnosed in more advanced stages of sepsis (septic shock). Those findings point to the need for rapid diagnostic methods to identify these bacteria and the need to adjust therapeutic guidelines to this worrisome epidemiological scenario.