Recent Antibiotic Therapy Worsens Outcomes in Gram-Negative Sepsis

In a retrospective study, antibiotic exposure within the preceding 90 days was linked to infection with drug-resistant pathogens and was an independent risk factor for hospital mortality.

Antibiotic exposure likely promotes selection of resistant bacteria, which may then colonize the host. When subsequent infectious episodes develop, patients may receive inappropriate initial antibiotic treatment — a well-known risk factor for adverse outcomes in those with sepsis. To investigate the magnitude of this problem, researchers conducted a retrospective study involving consecutive patients treated at a St. Louis hospital for bacteremic gram-negative severe sepsis or septic shock between 2002 and 2007.

The study involved 421 medical patients and 333 surgical patients (mean age, 59.3; 52% men), of whom 79% were in an intensive care unit. The mean APACHE II score was 24. Escherichia coli (31%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (23%), and Pseudom…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection