Analysis of blood culture results of haematological malignancy patients and investigation of risk factors associated with antibiotic resistance

In patients with haematological malignancy, both chemotherapeutic drugs used in the treatment of the disease and neutropenia caused by the disease make the patients vulnerable to possible infections. Bloodstream infections developing in these patients may have a highly mortal course. Therefore, accurate control of infection in patients with haematological malignancy is of great importance. The aim of our study was to determine the agents grown in bloodstream infections in patients with haematological malignancies, the frequency of these agents, the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolates grown and to examine the factors associated with resistance. In our study, 112 patients with bloodstream infections in the haematology ward of Fırat University Hospital between 2020 and 2023 were retrospectively analysed. 112 bloodstream infections were observed. Recurrent growths and growths considered as skin flora were not included in the study. The proportion of females and males was 49.1% and 50.9%, respectively. Gram positive bacteria were isolated most frequently. Coagulase negative staphylococci were the most common among all agents. Our antimicrobial resistance rates were higher compared to other studies. During the 4-year period, a gradually increasing multidrug resistance was detected in blood culture isolates. Increasing resistance rates were considered to be alarming. Higher rates of resistance were observed in patients with prolonged hospitalisation and patients with catheters. When the empirical antibiotic treatment applied to the patients was compared with the antibiogram result, it was shown that the presence of an infectious agent resistant to inappropriate treatment increased mortality in the patient population. Increasing resistance rendered empirical treatments inadequate and increased mortality in these patients. In conclusion, our study once again demonstrates the importance of local epidemiology. Knowledge of local epidemiology will help to initiate an effective empirical antibiotic treatment in BSI and decrease mortality rates. Keywords: bloodstream infections, antimicrobial resistance, blood culture