Early administration of appropriate antimicrobial agents to improve the outcome of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii complex bacteraemic pneumonia

• Published in: International journal of antimicrobial agents 2018-03, Vol.51 (3), p.407-412
• Main Authors: Park, Seong Yeon, Lee, Eun Jung, Kim, Tark, Yu, Shi Nae, Park, Ki-Ho, Lee, Mi Suk, Park, Se Yoon, Jeon, Min Hyok, Kim, Tae Hyong, Choo, Eun Ju
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acinetobacter baumannii complex; Bacteraemic pneumonia; Carbapenem resistance; Empirical antimicrobial therapy
• ISSN: 0924-8579; 1872-7913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2017.10.018

•Description of severe infection associated with carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii complex (CRABC) bacteraemic pneumonia.•Investigation of risk factors for 28-day mortality of CRABC bacteraemic pneumonia.•Of 146 patients with CRABC bacteraemic pneumonia, 103 (70.5%) died within 28 days.•APACHE II score ≥20, septic shock and inappropriate therapy were associated with an adverse outcome.•Appropriate empirical therapy might improve the outcome of patients with CRABC bacteraemic pneumonia. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii complex (CRABC) is an emerging pathogen that causes bloodstream infections and nosocomial pneumonia. This study aimed to describe severe infection associated with CRABC bacteraemic pneumonia and to investigate risk factors for 28-day mortality. All patients aged ≥18 years with CRABC bacteraemic pneumonia were enrolled retrospectively at five teaching hospitals in South Korea. Empirical antimicrobial therapy was defined as appropriate if administration of at least one antimicrobial agent, to which the causative pathogen was susceptible, for >48 h, within 5 days of the onset of bacteraemia. During the study period, 146 patients with CRABC bacteraemic pneumonia were enrolled. Among them, 128 (87.7%) patients were treated in the intensive care unit; of these, 110 (75.3%) had ventilator-associated pneumonia. A total of 42 patients (28.8%) received appropriate empirical therapy. There was no difference in baseline characteristics between the appropriate and inappropriate empirical treatment groups. However, 28-day mortality was higher in the inappropriate therapy group (54.8% vs. 76.9%; P = 0.008). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score ≥20 [hazard ratio (HR)  = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.58; P = 0.02], septic shock (HR = 3.49, 95% CI 2.15–5.67; P