RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen, has received considerable attention owing to its recent surge, especially in South America, which coincides with the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the clinical and microbiological characteristics of outbreaks is crucial for their effective management and control. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective observational study aimed to characterize a C. auris outbreak at a Peruvian referral hospital between January 2021 and July 2023. METHODS: Data were collected from hospitalized patients with positive C. auris culture results. Microbiological data and antifungal susceptibility test results were analysed. Additionally, infection prevention and control measures have been described. Statistical analysis was used to compare the characteristics between the infected and colonized patients. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were identified, mostly male (66.7%), with a median age of 53 years. Among them, 18 (54.5%) were colonized, and 15 (45.5%) were infected. Fungemia was the predominant presentation (80%), with notable cases of fungemia in tuberculosis patients with long-stay devices for parenteral anti-tuberculosis therapy. Seventy-five percent of the isolates exhibited fluconazole resistance. Echinocandins were the primary treatment, preventing fungemia recurrence within 30 days. Infected patients had significantly longer hospital stays than colonized patients (100 vs. 45 days; p = .023). Hospital mortality rates were 46.7% and 25% in the infected and fungemia patients, respectively. Simultaneous outbreaks of multidrug-resistant bacteria were documented. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the severity of a C. auris outbreak at a referral hospital in Peru, highlighting its significant impact on patient outcomes and healthcare resources. The high prevalence of fluconazole-resistant isolates, leading to prolonged hospital stay and high mortality rates, particularly in cases of fungemia, underscores the critical need for effective infection prevention and control strategies.
Assuntos
Antifúngicos , Candida auris , Candidíase , Surtos de Doenças , Humanos , Peru/epidemiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Masculino , Feminino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Adulto , Candidíase/epidemiologia , Candidíase/microbiologia , Antifúngicos/uso terapêutico , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Idoso , Candida auris/efeitos dos fármacos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Infecção Hospitalar/epidemiologia , Infecção Hospitalar/microbiologia , Candida/efeitos dos fármacos , Candida/isolamento & purificação , Candida/classificação , Encaminhamento e ConsultaRESUMO
A descriptive design was carried out studying the correlation between antimicrobial consumption and resistance profiles of ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) in a Peruvian hospital, including the surgical, clinical areas and the intensive care unit (ICU) during the time period between 2015 and 2018. There was a significant correlation between using ceftazidime and the increase of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolations (R = 0.97; p < 0.05) and the resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam in Enterobacter spp. and ciprofloxacin usage (R = 0.97; p < 0.05) in the medical wards. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam and amikacin in the intensive care unit (ICU) had a significant reduction from 2015 to 2018 (67% vs. 28.6%, 65% vs. 34.9%, p < 0.001). These findings give valuable information about the rates and dynamics in the relationship between antibiotic usage and antimicrobial resistance patterns in a Peruvian hospital and reinforce the need for continuous support and assessment of antimicrobial stewardship strategies, including microbiological indicators and antimicrobial consumption patterns.
RESUMO
La resistencia antimicrobiana (RAM) es una pandemia adicional de lenta evolución que precede a la pandemia de COVID-19 y continuará cuando esta termine. Sin embargo, en países como Perú, donde existe un alto consumo y prescripción inadecuada de antimicrobianos, puede pasar desapercibida y se puede esperar, en el futuro, un escenario más desafiante. Los programas de optimización de uso de antimicrobianos (PROA) son equipos multidisciplinarios de profesionales que tienen como objetivo retardar la aparición de organismos multirresistentes a través de estrategias como la auditoría de prescripciones o la creación de algoritmos de tratamiento antimicrobiano basados en las tasas locales de RAM. La dificultad en el diagnóstico oportuno de coinfecciones o superinfecciones en el curso clínico y progresión de la COVID-19 predisponen al uso inadecuado de antimicrobianos, lo que obliga a los PROA a adaptar sus estrategias en este panorama cambiante. En Latinoamérica, los PROA no solo tienen que fomentar el cambio de comportamiento en los prescriptores de antimicrobianos, sino también luchar contra la epidemia de información falsa (infodemia) y las campañas de desinformación sobre la COVID-19. Además, la pobre cultura local de prevención y control de infecciones obliga a revisar estrategias para mitigar el impacto posterior en la RAM.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an additional slow-evolving pandemic that precedes the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue when it ends. However, in countries like Peru, where high consumption and inadequate prescription of antimicrobials occur, AMR may go unnoticed and a more challenging future scenario can be expected. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) consist of multidisciplinary teams of professionals that aim to slow down the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms through strategies such as prescription auditing or creation of antimicrobial treatment guidelines based on local AMR rates. The difficulty in the timely diagnosis of co-infections or superinfections in the clinical course and progression of COVID-19 leads to inappropriate use of antimicrobials, forcing ASPs to adapt their strategies in this changing scenario. In Latin America, ASPs not only have to promote behavior change in antimicrobial prescribers but also fight the epidemic of false information (infodemic) and disinformation campaigns on COVID-19. Furthermore, poor-quality infection prevention and control principles require evaluating strategies to mitigate the subsequent impact on AMR.