Nosocomial bacteremias in measles

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Pediatrics
• Hospital Epidemiology

Background:

• Nosocomial infections pose a significant threat in pediatric care.
• Measles, a highly contagious viral illness, can lead to severe complications.
• Understanding secondary bacterial infections in measles is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of nosocomial bacteremia in severe measles patients versus general pediatric admissions.
• To identify the types of organisms causing bacteremia in these patient groups.
• To assess the antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated pathogens.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 977 blood culture reports from 1985 to 1988.
• Comparison of bacteremia rates between patients with severe measles and general pediatric admissions.
• Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates.

Main Results:

• Nosocomial bacteremia incidence was 3.37/100 admissions/year in measles patients, ~6 times higher than general pediatric patients (0.57/100 admissions/year).
• Gram-negative organisms, primarily Klebsiella and Salmonella, dominated isolates from measles patients (86.5%).
• 23% of Gram-negative isolates from measles patients exhibited multidrug resistance; all isolates from general patients were fully susceptible.

Conclusions:

• Patients with severe measles experience a substantially higher rate of hospital-acquired bacteremias.
• These infections are frequently caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
• Nosocomial bacteremias significantly increase morbidity and prolong hospitalization in measles patients.