Acinetobacter baumannii Bloodstream Infections in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: A Worldwide...

Bloodstream infection is one of the main causes of death in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacteria associated with bloodstream infection and subsequent death from high antibiotic resistance in this group of patients. We evaluated bloodstream infections of Acinetobacter baumannii in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

Using the PRISMA protocol, we searched MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from January 1, 2000, through November 1, 2023, to detect possibly pertinent studies reporting A baumannii prevalence and A baumannii bloodstream infections related to mortality. We used the following Medical Subject Headings and text words: Acinetobacter, Acinetobacter species, Acinetobacter baumannii, A baumannii, mortality, death, and bloodstream infection. We used SPSS software for data analyses.

The reported rate of total bacterial related-bloodstream infections among hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients was 32.1%, whereas bloodstream infections caused by A baumannii was reported at 5.9%. The reported rate of bloodstream infection-related deaths was 21.2%, of which rates of bloodstream infection-related deaths caused by A baumannii ranged from 6.3% to 7.5%.

Although the prevalence of A baumannii in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients was low, mortality rates were high, which is probably because of the prevalence of multidrug resistant or carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter strains, and appropriate control and prevention measures should be taken.