A study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, examined the risk characteristics and risk factors of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative infections in children.
Researchers studied newly diagnosed CRGN infections in 27 hospitalized children, younger than 18 years. They created a control group comprised of 28 patients infected with a carbapenem-sensitive gram-negative pathogen in the same unit within 48 hours of diagnosis. The study period was between April 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2014.
The study shows ventilator-associated pneumonia was the most common type of infection in both groups. Researchers found prior exposure to carbapenems and prolonged hospitalization were independent risk factors for acquiring CRGN infections.
Additionally, septic shock was significantly more frequent and in-hospital mortality was higher in the CRGN group.