Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcome of Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter Infections in a Community Hospital in...

Acinetobacter is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes nosocomial infections, increasing healthcare costs, patient morbidity, and mortality. The rate of carbapenem resistance among Acinetobacter species is rising in several countries, including Saudi Arabia.

To determine the risk factors and compare the predictors of mortality in patients infected with carbapenem-susceptible and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter strains.

This retrospective study included patients with Acinetobacter infection who were admitted to a community hospital in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, between January 2017 and June 2021. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the risks of acquiring carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter infections and the mortality risk associated with these infections.

This study included 138 Acinetobacter-infected cases, of which 114 (82%) were carbapenem-resistant infections. Between 2017 and 2020, resistance rates increased from 75% to 87%. Patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter infections had higher 90-day mortality than those with carbapenem-susceptible infection (62% vs. 29%, P = 0.006). The risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter infections were prior antimicrobial therapy (aOR: 8.36 [1.69-41.29]; P = 0.009) and mechanical ventilation (aOR: 6.07 [1.82-20.20]; P = 0.003). Among all patients with Acinetobacter infections, significant predictors of 90-day mortality were carbapenem resistance (aOR: 3.26 [1.19-8.90]; P = 0.021) and Charlson comorbidity score (aOR: 1.19 [1.06-1.34]; P = 0.004).

The increase in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter cases in this study was consistent with the findings of other studies from Saudi Arabia. This, together with the high associated mortality rates, indicates the urgent need for effective antimicrobials and infection prevention strategies to combat carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter infections in hospitals.