Sepsis related mortality of extremely low gestational age newborns after the introduction of colonization screening for multi-drug resistant organisms

Christoph Härtel*, Kirstin Faust, Ingmar Fortmann, Alexander Humberg, Julia Pagel, Clara Haug, Reinhard Kühl, Bettina Bohnhorst, Sabine Pirr, Dorothee Viemann, Arne Simon, Michael Zemlin, Silvia Poralla, Andreas Müller, Natascha Köstlin-Gille, Christian Gille, Matthias Heckmann, Jan Rupp, Egbert Herting, Wolfgang Göpel

*Corresponding author for this work

Abstract

Background: In 2013 German infection surveillance guidelines recommended weekly colonization screening for multidrug-resistant (MDRO) or highly epidemic organisms for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and extended hygiene measures based on screening results. It remains a matter of debate whether screening is worth the effort. We therefore aimed to evaluate sepsis related outcomes before and after the guideline update. Methods: The German Neonatal Network (GNN) is a prospective cohort study including data from extremely preterm infants between 22 + 0 and 28 + 6 gestational weeks born in 62 German level III NICUs. Results: Infants treated after guideline update (n = 8.903) had a lower mortality (12.5% vs. 13.8%, p = 0.036), reduced rates for clinical sepsis (31.4 vs. 42.8%, p < 0.001) and culture-proven sepsis (14.4% vs. 16.5%, p = 0.003) as compared to infants treated before update (n = 3.920). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, nine pathogens of culture-proven sepsis were associated with sepsis-related death, e.g. Pseudomonas aeruginosa [OR 59 (19-180), p < 0.001)]. However, the guideline update had no significant effect on pathogen-specific case fatality, total sepsis-related mortality and culture-proven sepsis rates with MDRO. While the exposure of GNN infants to cefotaxime declined over time (31.1 vs. 40.1%, p < 0.001), the treatment rate with meropenem was increased (31.6 vs. 26.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The introduction of weekly screening and extended hygiene measures is associated with reduced sepsis rates, but has no effects on sepsis-related mortality and sepsis with screening-relevant pathogens. The high exposure rate to meropenem should be a target of antibiotic stewardship programs.

Original languageEnglish
Article number144
JournalAntimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control
Volume9
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)144
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26.08.2020

Research Areas and Centers

  • Academic Focus: Center for Infection and Inflammation Research (ZIEL)

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