BACKGROUND:Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) resistance is a growing concern in and outside hospitals.
Physicians often face a true clinical dilemma when initiating empirical antibiotic treatment in patients admitted to internal medicine departments.
OBJECTIVES:To determine the prevalence of risk factors for ESBL resistance in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) admitted to internal medicine departments.
METHODS:We conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients with UTI admitted to an internal medicine division in a community-based academic hospital over a 1 year period. We collected clinical, laboratory and imaging data that were available to the treating physician at admission. Outcome measures included ESBL resistance and death.
RESULTS:Of the 6754 admissions 366 patients were included in the study. Hospitalization during the previous 3 months (odds ratio 3.4, P < 0.0001), residency in a long-term-care facility (OR 2.4, P = 0.004), and the presence of a permanent urinary catheter (OR 2.2, P = 0.015) were correlated to ESBL resistance with statistical significance. These risk factors were extremely prevalent in our patient cohort.
CONCLUSIONS: ESBL resistance is becoming prevalent outside hospital settings, and patients admitted to an internal medicine department with UTI frequently carry risk factors for harboring resistant bacteria. In such patients a high index of suspicion and early targeted antibiotic treatment for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae may be justified.
Written by:
Vardi M, Kochavi T, Denekamp Y, Bitterman H. Are you the author?
Department of Medicine, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Reference: Isr Med Assoc J. 2012 Feb;14(2):115-8.
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22693794
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