Prevalence of bloodstream infection pathogens in hemato-oncological patients and predictors of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections during febrile neutropenia

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative (CRGN) Bloodstream Infections (BSI) represent a therapeutic challenge, especially in the context of Febrile Neutropenia (FN) in cancer patients. METHODS: We characterized pathogens causing BSI in patients aged ≥18 years who had undergone systemic chemotherapy for solid or hematological cancers between 2012 and 2021 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Predictors of CRGN were evaluated through a case-control analysis. Each case was matched to two controls from whom CRGN were not isolated and had the same sex and year of inclusion in the study. RESULTS: From 6094 blood cultures evaluated, 1512 (24.8%) showed positive results. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 537 (35.5%) of the isolated bacteria, of which 93 (17.3%) were carbapenem-resistant. From 105 patients included in the case-control analysis, all cases had baseline hematological malignancies (60% acute myeloid leukemia). Variables related to CRGN BSI in Cox regression analysis were the first chemotherapy session (p<0.01), chemotherapy performed in the hospital setting (p = 0.03), intensive care unit admission (p<0.01), and CRGN isolation in the previous year (p<0.01). Patients with CRGN BSI received 75% less empirical active antibiotics and had 27.2% higher 30-day mortality rates than controls. CONCLUSIONS: A CRGN risk-guided approach should be considered for empirical antibiotic therapy in patients with FN.