Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae made headlines last year when the bacteria were linked with numerous hospital infection outbreaks. Now, researchers have examined how CRE colonization influences the risk of infection in a new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The authors of the study examined multiple databases for studies reporting rates of CRE-colonized patients who later developed an infection. All total, they identified 10 observational studies, including 1,806 patients.
Highlighted below are three findings from the study.
1. Roughly 16.5 percent of the patients colonized with CRE developed an infection.
2. The most common site of infection was the lung, identified in half of patients. The next most common infection sites were the urinary tract, primary bloodstream and skin and soft tissue, including surgical sites.
3. Patient colonized or infected with CRE experienced prolonged hospital stays and a 10 percent overall mortality rate.
"Given the high mortality rate observed with CRE infection and the difficulty in treating these infections, research to investigate and develop strategies to eliminate the colonization state are needed," concluded the study.
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