Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii May Cause Patients to Develop Polymicrobial Bloodstream Infection

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Microbiology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Polymicrobial bloodstream infections (BSI) are rising globally.
• Clinical features of polymicrobial Acinetobacter baumannii BSI (AB-BSI) remain poorly understood.
• No prior reports of polymicrobial AB-BSI exist in mainland China.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical characteristics of polymicrobial AB-BSI.
• To identify risk factors associated with polymicrobial AB-BSI.
• To compare outcomes between polymicrobial and monomicrobial AB-BSI.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 204 patients with AB-BSI from 2015-2019.
• Electronic medical records were reviewed for clinical data.
• Multivariable logistic regression identified risk factors for polymicrobial AB-BSI.

Main Results:

• Polymicrobial AB-BSI occurred in 19.1% of patients.
• Skin and soft tissue infections were more common sources in polymicrobial cases (38.5% vs 16.4%).
• Piperacillin/tazobactam resistance was an independent risk factor; longer hospital stays were observed in polymicrobial cases, with no significant mortality difference.

Conclusions:

• Polymicrobial AB-BSI represents a significant proportion of AB-BSI cases.
• While not impacting mortality, polymicrobial AB-BSI is linked to extended hospital stays.
• Piperacillin/tazobactam resistance is highly correlated with polymicrobial AB-BSI, necessitating attention during treatment.