Large hospital outbreak of KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae : investigating mortality and the impact of screening for KPC-2 with polymerase chain reaction

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 89; no. 3; pp. 179 - 185
• Main Authors: Ducomble, T, Faucheux, S, Helbig, U, Kaisers, U.X, König, B, Knaust, A, Lübbert, C, Möller, I, Rodloff, A.C, Schweickert, B, Eckmanns, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; beta-Lactamases - genetics; beta-Lactamases - isolation & purification; Carriage; Colonization; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - microbiology; Disease Outbreaks; Female; Greece - epidemiology; Healthcare-associated; Hospitals - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Infection; Infectious Disease; Klebsiella Infections - epidemiology; Klebsiella Infections - microbiology; Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase; Length of Stay; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Outbreak; Polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Resistance; Retrospective Studies; Greece; Polymerase chain reaction; Resistance; Infection; Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase; Outbreak; Mortality; Healthcare-associated; Colonization; Length of stay; Carriage
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2014.11.012

Summary Background Multi-drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-2-producing K. pneumoniae are an increasing cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Aims To investigate the impact of clinical infection on mortality, and examine the effect of use of KPC-2-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the time to contact isolation during an outbreak. Methods Cases were defined as patients clinically infected or colonized with KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae between June 2010 and July 2012. Cases were described by demographic and health characteristics, and the association between infection and mortality, adjusted for comorbidities and demographic characteristics, was determined using Poisson regression with robust standard errors. A comparison was made between the time to contact isolation with a culture-based method and PCR using Wilcoxon's rank sum test. Findings Of 72 cases detected, 17 (24%) had undergone transplantation and 21 (29%) had a malignancy. Overall, 35 (49%) cases were clinically infected, with pneumonia and sepsis being the most common infections. Infection was an independent risk factor for mortality (risk ratio 1.67, 95% confidence interval 0.99–2.82). The median time to contact isolation was 1.5 days (range 0–21 days) using PCR and 5.0 days (range 0–39 days) using culture-based methods ( P  = 0.003). Intermittent negative tests were observed in 48% (14/29) of cases tested using culture-based methods. Conclusion KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae mainly affect severely ill patients. Half of the cases developed clinical infection, associated with increased risk of death. As PCR accelerates isolation and provides the opportunity for preventive measures in colonized cases, its use should be implemented promptly during outbreaks. Further studies are needed to enhance knowledge about KPC detection patterns and to adjust screening guidelines.