Abstract
Background
Infectious processes are frequent complications presented in pediatric patients with cancer. Currently, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics induces resistance to available treatments, creating the emergence of multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Due to the impact in morbidity and mortality secondary to MDRO infection, we aimed to identify risk factors associated with mortality in infections due to MDROs in pediatric patients with cancer.
Methods
Case–control study nested in a prospective cohort of pediatric oncology patients with febrile neutropenia (FN) at Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez (HIMFG) in Mexico City from March 2015 to September 2017. MDRO was defined as acquired non-susceptibility to at least one agent in three or more antimicrobial categories. Patients with FN episodes who died from an infection due to MDROs were defined as cases and patients with FN episodes of an infection due to MDROs who did not die were defined as controls. Mucositis, septic shock, PICU stay, and bacterial prophylaxis (Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole) were compared between groups. Descriptive statistics was performed and Pearson χ 2 or Student’s t-test were used to compare risk factors between groups.
Results
A total of 929 FN episodes were documented, 44.4% episodes occurred in male patients, mean age was 7.9 years, with the population under 5 years being the most represented (68.2%). The most frequent diagnosis was acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 75% followed by rhabdomyosarcoma in 10.5% and acute myeloid leukemia in 9.6%. Prophylaxis (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) was used in 86%, mucositis was present in 9.2% of episodes. 12.1% had septic shock and 4.7% were admitted to PICU. In 148 FN episodes (15.9%) a microorganism was identified, of these 50 (33.7%) were due to an MDROs. Urinary tract infection was the most frequent site (49%), followed by bloodstream infections (47%). K. pneumoniae was the most frequent MDRO in 22.8%, followed by E. coli in 19.2% and P. aeruginosa in 14%. Septic shock was presented in 26% of MDROs infections. Overall mortality was 1.94% and only 0.86% (8) were secondary to MDROs. Of patients with MDRO isolated mortality was 30% (15/50). Mortality associated with bloodstream infection due to MDROs was 25% compared with other source of MDROs infections (3%) (P = 0.01). Septic shock was present in 40% of patients with death due to MDROs infection (P = 0.001).
Conclusions
In our population of children with FN episodes who had an isolated microorganism, infection due to MDROs are high (33.7%) and MDROs infection-directed mortality was as high as 30%. Bloodstream infections and septic shock were risk factors associated with mortality due to MDROs.
Meropenem versus piperacillin/tazobactam with or without immunoglobulin as second-line therapy for febrile neutropenia in pediatric patients
