Feasibility Study on Risk Stratification for Multidrug-Resistant Organism Infections Among ICU Patients in the United...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Global multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) risk prediction tools lack applicability in the UAE due to diverse health profiles.
• Developing tools based on local demographic structures is crucial for clinical relevance in the UAE.
• This study addresses the need for localized risk factors for MDRO infections in critically ill patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential risk factors for MDRO infections in critically ill patients at a UAE tertiary hospital.
• To assess the feasibility of a larger study for developing an empirical antibiotic selection tool.
• To adapt risk prediction models to the specific health context of the UAE.

Main Methods:

• Pilot retrospective case-control study design.
• Inclusion of patients admitted to the ICU for >24 hours with hospital-acquired infections (March-May 2022).
• Random sampling of 39 patient profiles; statistical analysis using Student's t-test, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-square tests.

Main Results:

• History of bacterial growth increased MDRO infection risk by 2.83-fold (95% CI 1.489-5.39).
• Enteral tube feeding increased risk by 2.22-fold (95% CI 1.369-3.608).
• Antibiotic de-escalation was significantly higher in the MDRO group (81.8%) vs. non-MDRO (60%), p < 0.001.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary insights suggest tube feeding and tracheostomy as potential risk factors for MDRO infections in UAE ICUs.
• The study successfully demonstrated feasibility for data collection and patient stratification.
• Results support a larger study to validate risk factors and develop a predictive assessment tool for empirical antibiotic selection.