An increasing threat in intensive care units: evaluation of multi-drug-resistant Myroides spp. infections and risk...

Myroides spp. are Gram-negative bacilli that are commonly found in soil and water, acting as low-level opportunistic pathogens and causing a variety of infections.

To assess the risk factors for multi-drug-resistant myroides infections, association with comorbid illnesses, patient care and susceptibility to antibiotics.

This retrospective analytical study was conducted in Istanbul Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, and included patients with Myroides spp. isolated in their culture samples. Total hospitalization days, first isolation day and 30-day mortality values of the patients were analysed statistically, and P<0.05 was considered to indicate significance.

Myroides spp. were isolated from 437 culture samples from 228 patients. Of these cases, 210 (92.1%) were classified as having asymptomatic bacteriuria, and 18 (7.9%) as having an infection caused by Myroides spp. One hundred and seventy-four (76.3%) patients were followed up in the intensive care unit, and total hospitalization days (median 24.5 days) and first isolation day (median 9.5 days) of infected patients were shorter than those for colonized patients (P=0.023 and 0.030, respectively). No difference was found in 30-day mortality between infected and colonized patients (P=0.312).

Myroides infections were seen more frequently in patients who were hospitalized for a long time, used broad-spectrum antimicrobials, underwent invasive procedures, and had co-factors such as diabetes and cerebrovascular disease. In addition, the resistance rates of Myroides odoratus were higher than those of Myroides odoratimimus, and the use of quinolones for the treatment of patients with M. odoratimimus infection led to a higher cure rate.