Objective:
To determine the relationship between immunosuppression and intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.
Design:
Retrospective case-control study based on prospectively collected data.
Setting:
A 30-bed medical and surgical ICU.
Patients:
All patients hospitalized >48 hrs in the ICU were eligible during a 2-yr period.
Interventions:
Immunosuppression was defined as active solid or hematologic malignancy, leucopenia, or chronic immunosuppressive treatment. MDR bacteria were defined as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ceftazidime- or imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and extending spectrum β-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacilli. MDR bacteria screening (nasal, anal, and axilla swabs and tracheal aspirate in intubated patients) was performed at ICU admission and weekly. Only MDR bacteria isolated >48 hrs after ICU admission were taken into account; duplicates were excluded. Isolation measures were applied in all patients at ICU admission, in patients with MDR bacteria, and in patients with immunosuppression. Immunosuppressed patients (cases) were matched (1:1) with immunocompetent patients (controls) according to all the following criteria: age ±5 yrs, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II ±5, duration of ICU stay ±3 days, and category of admission (medical/surgical). Risk factors for ICU-acquired MDR bacteria were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses.
Measurements and Main Results:
Of 1,065 eligible patients, nine patients were excluded for absence of MDR bacteria screening at ICU admission. One hundred thirty-three (12%) patients were immunosuppressed, and 128 (96%) of them were successfully matched. Mean time between ICU admission and first ICU-acquired MDR bacteria was 12 ± 9 days. Incidence of MDR bacteria was significantly higher in cases than in controls (22 vs. 12 MDR bacteria/1000 ICU days, p = .004). However, immunosuppression was not independently associated with ICU-acquired MDR bacteria.
Multivariate analysis identified prior antibiotic treatment and antibiotic treatment in the ICU as risk factors for ICU-acquired MDR bacteria (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.9 [1–3.6], p = .003; 11 [1.4–83], p = .02; respectively).
Conclusions:
Immunosuppression is not independently associated with ICU-acquired MDR bacteria. However, infection control measures used in our ICU may have influenced this result.
