A study found that the blaNDM gene, associated with multidrug-resistant infections, was widely detected in antibiotic-resistant infections in patients at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health.
The study analyzed blood and urine samples from hospitalized patients between January 2021 and December 2023, finding the gene in 39% of blood cultures and 46% of urine cultures positive for carbapenamese-producing organisms, according to an Oct. 16 news release from the Infectious Disease Society of America.
The blaNDM gene enables bacteria to break down several classes of antibiotics, including carbapenems, penicillins and cephalosporins. The presence of blaNDM in blood samples was linked to a 48% mortality rate among affected patients, the release said.
Northwell researchers examined 71 CPO-positive blood cultures and 50 urine cultures from 10 hospitals, revealing an increase in blaNDM detection from January 2021 to December 2023.