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Abstract
Introduction: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) and carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) are accused to be notorious due to their high prevalence and ability to cause outbreaks in healthcare settings. This study aims to report one of the major outbreaks of K. pneumonia and A. baumannii at a secondary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from February to August 2022.
Aim: This study will analyze the outbreak including identification of patients’ mortality risk factors, antibiotic susceptibility test results of the bacterial isolates, and infection control measures used to halt the outbreak.
Method: We conducted a secondary data analysis of K. pneumonia and A. baumannii outbreak at a secondary care hospital. Data were collected from the General Directorate of Infection Prevention and Control, Saudi Ministry of Health. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 27.
Results: A total of 50 patients were affected by the outbreak, either infected with K. pneumonia or A. baumannii or co-infected with both organisms. The major risk factors for mortality of infected patients were old age, male gender, admitted from the community rather than hospital, (66.67%-100%) diabetes mellitus, (80%-100%) co-infection with COVID-19, patients diagnosed from sputum specimens, and using invasive medical devices. Length of pre-infection stay and in ICU among fatalities is higher with K. pneumonia than with A. baumannii infections. In addition, A. baumannii infected patients have higher mortality rates. K. pneumonia and A. baumannii demonstrate low sensitivity to 4 tested antibiotics including Amikacin, Gentamicin, Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole, and Tigecycline which is the last resort antibiotic treatment. Whereas, 100% is the bacterial resistance rate to all tested antibiotics. Infection control measures played a significant role in controlling the outbreak.
Conclusion: The outbreak of K. pneumonia and A. baumannii was associated with a preventable clinical and financial burden. Active screening of healthcare-associated infections is crucial for early detection and successful management of infection and prevent the outbreak occurrence.
