Analysis of risk factors associated with healthcare-associated carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in a large general hospital: a case-case-control study

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infection is a major public health threat in the world. To inform the prevention and control of CRKP infection in hospitals, this study analyzed the factors associated with CRKP infection and resistance to carbapenems in K. pneumoniae. This case-case-control study was carried out in a large general hospital in China from January 2016 to December 2018, comprising 494 hospitalized patients infected with CRKP (case group 1) and 2429 hospitalized patients infected with carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae (CSKP, case group 2). We selected control groups from hospitalized patients without K. pneumoniae infections for the two case groups separately, with a 1:3 case-control ratio, to analyze the risk factors of the two case groups using the conditional logistic regression. Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors of CRKP infection were intensive care unit (ICU) admission (odds ratio [OR], 6.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.90–9.58; P < 0.001), respiratory failure (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.34–2.77; P < 0.001), age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (aCCI; OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02–1.15; P = 0.007), admission from the Emergency (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.02–1.85; P = 0.036), and imipenem use (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.30–2.49; P < 0.001). Among the aforementioned five risk factors, aCCI (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.06–1.13; P < 0.001) was also identified as a risk factor of CSKP infections in multivariate analysis. The risk factors for resistance to carbapenems in K. pneumoniae were ICU admission, respiratory failure, admission from the Emergency, and imipenem use. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10096-023-04578-w.