Impact of a Rapid Molecular Test for Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase and Ceftazidime-Avibactam Use on Outcomes after Bacteremia Caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with bacteremia due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) experience delays until appropriate therapy and high mortality rates. Rapid molecular diagnostics for carbapenemases and new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors may improve outcomes. METHODS: We conducted an observational study of patients with CRE bacteremia from 2016-2018 at eight New York and New Jersey medical centers and assessed center-specific clinical microbiology practices. We compared time to receipt of active antimicrobial therapy and mortality between patients whose positive blood cultures underwent rapid molecular testing for the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase gene (blaKPC) and patients whose cultures did not undergo this test. CRE isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing by broth microdilution and carbapenemase profiling by whole-genome sequencing. We also assessed outcomes when ceftazidime-avibactam and polymyxins were used as targeted therapies. RESULTS: Of 137 patients with CRE bacteremia, 89 (65%) had a KPC-producing organism. Patients whose blood cultures underwent blaKPC PCR testing (n = 51) had shorter time until receipt of active therapy (median: 24 vs. 50 hours; P = 0.009) compared to other patients (n = 86) and decreased 14-day (16% vs. 37%; P = 0.007) and 30-day (24% vs. 47%; P = 0.007) mortality. blaKPC PCR testing was associated with decreased 30-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.16-0.84) in an adjusted model. The 30-day mortality rate was 10% with ceftazidime-avibactam monotherapy and 31% with polymyxin monotherapy (P = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: In a KPC-endemic area, blaKPC PCR testing of positive blood cultures was associated with decreased time until appropriate therapy and decreased mortality for CRE bacteremia, and ceftazidime-avibactam is a reasonable first-line therapy for these infections.
