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Hypogammaglobulinemia and Poor Performance Status are Predisposing Factors for Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus
Elif Gülsüm Ümit1, Figen Kuloğlu, Ahmet Muzaffer Demir
1Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Hematology, Edirne, Turkey Phone: +90 284 235 76 41-2687
Objective:
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are common pathogens of hospital-acquired infection. Long hospitalization periods, use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and immunosuppression are major risks for VRE colonization. We aimed to evaluate patients' characteristics and factors that may contribute to VRE colonization.
Materials And Methods:
Data of 66 patients with colonization and 112 patients without colonization who were hospitalized in the hematology clinic were collected. Hematological malignancies, preexisting gastrointestinal complaints, the presence of hypogammaglobulinemia at the time of diagnosis, complications like neutropenic enterocolitis (NEC), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) and Karnofsky performance statuses were recorded.
Results:
Ages of the patients ranged between 19 and 95 years (mean: 55.99). Karnofsky and ECOG scores were statistically related to VRE colonization (p<0.000 and p<0.000), though only the Karnofsky score was significant based on logistic regression analysis. Almost all patients with acute leukemia (45 patients) had been on antibiotics (piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, and meropenem), while no patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloma, or benign diseases and 2 patients with lymphoma and 1 with chronic myeloid leukemia were on antibiotics. Median time for colonization regardless of antibiotic use and diagnosis was 4.5 days (range: 3-11 days). In the VRE-colonized group, 40.9% of patients had NEC development, while in the non-colonized group, only 1.7% had NEC development. In the VRE-colonized group 46 patients (69.7%) and in the non-colonized group 27 patients (24.1%) had hypogammaglobulinemia at diagnosis; among these patients, 23 patients in the VRE-colonized group (50%) had a B-cell malignancy (lymphoma, myeloma, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia).
Conclusion:
Besides already anticipated diseases like leukemia, B-cell malignancies are also at high risk for colonization. This proclivity may be attributed to lack of gastrointestinal IgA due to hypogammaglobulinemia. Prolonged hospitalization (>7 days) may also be accepted as a risk factor, independent of diagnosis or antibiotic use. Performance status is also an important factor for colonization, which may be related to poorer hygiene and increased external help.
Insights
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization is linked to B-cell malignancies and poor performance status in hematology patients. Prolonged hospitalization also increases VRE risk, independent of diagnosis or antibiotic use.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Hematology
- Hospital-Acquired Infections
Background:
- Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are significant pathogens contributing to hospital-acquired infections.
- Risk factors for VRE colonization include extended hospitalization, broad-spectrum antibiotic use, and immunosuppression.
- Understanding patient-specific characteristics is crucial for predicting and preventing VRE colonization in vulnerable populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify patient characteristics associated with VRE colonization in a hematology clinic.
- To evaluate factors contributing to VRE colonization, including underlying diagnoses and performance status.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed data from 66 VRE-colonized and 112 non-colonized patients admitted to a hematology clinic.
- Data collected included hematological malignancy type, gastrointestinal complaints, hypogammaglobulinemia, neutropenic enterocolitis (NEC), and performance status (ECOG and Karnofsky).
- Statistical analysis, including logistic regression, was used to determine significant factors related to VRE colonization.
Main Results:
- Karnofsky and ECOG performance scores were significantly associated with VRE colonization (p<0.000), with Karnofsky status being independently significant.
- Patients with VRE colonization had higher rates of neutropenic enterocolitis (40.9% vs. 1.7%) and hypogammaglobulinemia (69.7% vs. 24.1%).
- B-cell malignancies (lymphoma, myeloma, CLL) were prevalent among colonized patients with hypogammaglobulinemia (50%).
Conclusions:
- B-cell malignancies, in addition to leukemia, represent a high-risk group for VRE colonization, potentially due to impaired gastrointestinal IgA from hypogammaglobulinemia.
- Prolonged hospitalization (>7 days) is an independent risk factor for VRE colonization, irrespective of diagnosis or antibiotic exposure.
- Poor performance status is a significant factor, possibly linked to hygiene practices and increased need for external assistance.
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