The correlation between non-O blood group type and recurrent catheter-associated urinary tract infections in critically ill patients: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the ABO blood group and the risk of recurrent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTI) and multi-drug resistant (MDR) organism reinfection in the critically ill. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with confirmed CA-UTI to investigate the correlation between ABO type and the susceptibility to recurrent, reinfection and MDR reinfection. Patients were classified into two groups based on ABO type (O blood group versus non-O blood group). RESULTS: A total of 81 patients were included in the study: 37 in the O blood group and 44 in the non-O blood group. Patients in the O blood group were associated with significantly lower odds of recurrent CA-UTI (adjusted odds ratio 0.28; 95% confidence interval 0.08, 0.95), a shorter ICU length of stay (LOS) (estimate [SE] –0.24 [0.05]), hospital LOS (estimate [SE] –0.15 [0.03]) and mechanical ventilation duration (estimate [SE] –0.41 [0.07]) compared with the non-O blood group type. CONCLUSION: Non-O blood group type might be a risk factor for recurrent CA-UTI and infection with MDR organism.