Risk Factors for Mortality and Antimicrobial Regimens in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients with Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections: A Six-Year Retrospective Study

PURPOSE: Limited data are available on the characteristics, risk factors, and antimicrobial treatment of critically ill pediatric patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections. This study was to identify the risk factors for 30-day mortality in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients with CRE infections and compare the clinical outcomes of different antimicrobial regimens. METHODS: A retrospective, observational cohort study was performed on patients admitted to the PICU with positive CRE cultures between January 2016 and December 2021. RESULTS: For the 56 patients, the overall 30-day mortality was 50% (n=28). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that pediatric critical illness score (PCIS; HR = 0.879; 95% CI, 0.827–0.935; P < 0.001) and serum albumin levels (HR = 0.921; 95% CI, 0.860–0.987; P = 0.019) were independently associated with 30-day mortality. At the same time, there was no significant difference in 30-day mortality (42.9% versus 45.5%, P = 0.854) or clinical efficiency rate (53.4% versus 40.9%, P = 0.374) between with and without polymyxin B therapy. CONCLUSION: The study revealed PCIS and serum albumin levels were the independent mortality-related risk factors of CRE infections in critically ill pediatric patients. Treatment with polymyxin B could not reduce 30-day mortality. Future prospective cohort studies are needed to investigate the optimal antimicrobial regimens for CRE infection in PICU patients.