Risk factors for bloodstream infections due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae in cancer patients

All-Cause Mortality and Its Predictors in Haemato-Oncology Patients with Febrile Neutropenia

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is one of the most important life-threatening complications in haemato-oncology. Our objective was to report all-cause mortality rates in patients ill with a hematological malignancy (HM) hospitalized with a first FN episode and to identify predictors for mortality. We conducted a historical retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with an HM, >18 years of age, admitted between January 2012 and August 2018 for a first episode of FN. Data on all-cause mortality 12 months after admission for FN were obtained. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to describe mortality during the follow-up period. Univariate and multivariable analyses identified predictors for 1,3 and 12-month mortality. One hundred and fifty-eight patients (mean age 69.5, 49.4% males) were included. Overall, 54 patients died (15.8%, 25.9%, and 34.1% died after 1, 3, and 12 months, respectively). Lower serum albumin, higher serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), older age, higher temperature, and lower absolute lymphocyte count at admission were independent predictors of all-cause mortality after 12 months. Further studies are needed to confirm our results and identify therapeutic strategies to improve survival.

Clinical outcomes of antimicrobial resistance in cancer patients: a systematic review of multivariable models

BACKGROUND

Infections are major causes of disease in cancer patients and pose a major obstacle to the success of cancer care. The global rise of antimicrobial resistance threatens to make these obstacles even greater and hinder continuing progress in cancer care. To prevent and handle such infections, better models of clinical outcomes building on current knowledge are needed. This internally funded systematic review (PROSPERO registration: CRD42021282769) aimed to review multivariable models of resistant infections/colonisations and corresponding mortality, what risk factors have been investigated, and with what methodological approaches.

METHODS

We employed two broad searches of antimicrobial resistance in cancer patients, using terms associated with antimicrobial resistance, in MEDLINE and Embase through Ovid, in addition to Cinahl through EBSCOhost and Web of Science Core Collection. Primary, observational studies in English from January 2015 to November 2021 on human cancer patients that explicitly modelled infection/colonisation or mortality associated with antimicrobial resistance in a multivariable model were included. We extracted data on the study populations and their malignancies, risk factors, microbial aetiology, and methods for variable selection, and assessed the risk of bias using the NHLBI Study Quality Assessment Tools.

RESULTS

Two searches yielded a total of 27,151 unique records, of which 144 studies were included after screening and reading. Of the outcomes studied, mortality was the most common (68/144, 47%). Forty-five per cent (65/144) of the studies focused on haemato-oncological patients, and 27% (39/144) studied several bacteria or fungi. Studies included a median of 200 patients and 46 events. One-hundred-and-three (72%) studies used a p-value-based variable selection. Studies included a median of seven variables in the final (and largest) model, which yielded a median of 7 events per variable. An in-depth example of vancomycin-resistant enterococci was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

We found the current research to be heterogeneous in the approaches to studying this topic. Methodological choices resulting in very diverse models made it difficult or even impossible to draw statistical inferences and summarise what risk factors were of clinical relevance. The development and adherence to more standardised protocols that build on existing literature are urgent.

Healthcare Utilization and Impact of Antifungal Stewardships Within Respiratory Care Settings: A Systematic Literature Review

Introduction

Fungal infection and sensitization are common in chronic respiratory patient populations such as bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis (CF) and are often associated with prolonged antifungal therapy (Hohmann et al. in Clin Infect Dis 15:939–940, 2010; Vissichelli et al. in Infect Prev Pract 1:100029, 2019), morbidity, and mortality. Although the use of antifungal stewardship (AFS) is increasing within an invasive fungal disease setting, its use and impact within a chronic respiratory setting have not been defined.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to evaluate the use of antifungal stewardship within a chronic respiratory care setting. Three databases have been searched, Medline via Ovid, Embase and GlobalHealth, for papers published between 1949 and 2020.

Results

The initial search identified 987 papers from Medline, 1761 papers from Embase, and 481 papers from GlobalHealth. Only 28 papers met the criteria for inclusion in this systematic literature review. The included studies were subjected to CASP and GRADE assessments to rank their quality and applicability. Only two studies were focussed on Aspergillus species infection.

Conclusion

Although antifungal stewardship is increasing, its applications are still limited in chronic respiratory care settings despite the prolonged requirement for antifungal therapy and high antimicrobial resistance.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11046-021-00547-z.

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in bloodstream infections due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among patients with malignancy: a meta-analysis

Background

The colonization of Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) in bloodstream infections (BSIs) has been increased dramatically worldwide, and it was associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients with malignancy. We performed the meta-analysis to investigate the prognosis and risk factors in BSIs caused by ESBL-PE in oncological patients.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for related studies. All-cause mortality was considered as the primary outcome. Subgroup analyses, meta-regression analyses, and sensitivity analysis were used to investigate heterogeneity and reliability in results.

Results

6,729 patients from 25 studies were eligible. Six studies enrolled oncological patients with BSIs caused by ESBL-PE only, while 19 studies both enrolled ESBL-PE and non-ESBL-PE infections. The results showed that BSIs caused by ESBL-PE in patients with malignancy was associated with higher mortality than non-ESBL-PE infections (RR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.60–3.06, P < 0.001), with a significant between-study heterogeneity (I² =78.3%, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that children (RR = 2.80, 95% CI: 2.29–3.43, P < 0.001) and hematological malignancy (RR = 3.20, 95% CI: 2.54–4.03, P < 0.001) were associated with a higher mortality. Severe sepsis/ septic shock, pneumonia, and ICU admission were the most common predictors of mortality.

Conclusions

Our study identified that BSIs caused by ESBL-PE in patients with malignancy were associated with worse clinical outcomes compared with non-ESBL-PE infections. Furthermore, children and hematological malignancy were associated with higher mortality. Severe sepsis/ septic shock, pneumonia, and ICU admission were the most common predictors of mortality.