Documented Use of Piperacillin-Tazobactam and Increased 1-Month Mortality in Healthcare-Associated Intra-Abdominal

Charles Baulier1, Nathalie Zappella1, Nathalie Grall2

  • 1HP, Hôpital Bichat, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Paris, France.

Abstract

Insights

Piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) treatment for healthcare-associated intra-abdominal infections (hcIAI) was linked to higher mortality in septic patients. Further analysis is needed due to potential confounding factors.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Growing concerns exist regarding piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) efficacy and safety in septic patients, especially with healthcare-associated intra-abdominal infections (hcIAI).
  • Clinical outcomes of microbiologically documented TZP (dTZP) treatment in hcIAI patients require thorough assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical outcomes, specifically 1-month mortality, in patients with hcIAI who received dTZP.
  • To investigate the association between dTZP treatment and mortality in a cohort of critically ill patients.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective, propensity score (PS)-matched observational study was conducted in a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) from 1999 to 2019.
  • The study included adult patients with hcIAI, with 1-month mortality as the primary endpoint.
  • Propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used to control for confounding variables.

Main Results:

  • Univariate analysis showed higher 1-month mortality in the dTZP group (44% vs. 25%).
  • Multivariate analysis identified dTZP treatment as an independent predictor of mortality (OR=2.31).
  • In the PS-matched cohort, dTZP remained associated with increased mortality (40% vs. 27%), although IPTW analysis did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions:

  • dTZP administration in hcIAI patients was generally associated with increased 1-month mortality.
  • Sensitivity analyses yielded mixed results, and residual confounding cannot be entirely ruled out.
  • No significant mortality signal was observed in patients treated after 2010.

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