Evaluation of risk factors causing infection in patients colonized with carbapenem resistant enterobacterales

Carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are one of the major global threats to public health. In our study, it was aimed to investigate the clinical and microbiological characteristics of Enterobacterales species grown on clinical samples of hospitalized patients, and also the defined risk factors of infections spreading on patients colonized by CRE. Our study includes 88 patients over the age of 18 with CRE, who were hospitalized in the service and intensive care units at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine between December 2022 and April 2023. The data of the patients were recorded prospectively in the patient follow-up form prepared for the study. The patients were evaluated by clinically, and colonization/infection differentiation was done. Demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of the patients with colonization were investigated interms of the risk factors of infection spreading, and were copared with those infected by CRE. In the spread of infection, it was stated that there was no statistically significant difference between the age, gender, comorbid status, operation and hospitalization history of the patients, and polymicrobial growth. It was detected that the presence of invasive intervention and the applications of urinary catheter, nasogastric tube, and arterial catheter were significantly higher in infected patients. When the previously used antimicrobials are examined; It was determined that the use of linezolid in infected patients was significantly higher. The rate of hospitalization and death in the intensive care unit was found to be significantly higher in infected cases. As a result of the data we get in our study, surveillance results should be followed regularly to prevent the development of infection after colonization with CRE, standard precautions and guide recommendations should be followed before and after contact with patients, unnecessary consumption of antibiotics should be avoided, and unnecessary invasive tool use and interventions should be avoided. Keywords: Infection, Carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales, Colonization, Risk factors