Epidemiological and bacteriological trends from 2013 to 2023 of carbapenemase-producing enterobacterales (CPE) in a French university hospital: A permanent risk of outbreak - 06/02/25

Highlights |
• | Incidentally discovered CPE and CPE-positive repatriates/patients with prior hospitalization, increased during the study period. |
• | The number of annual CPE outbreaks and secondary cases increased between 2013 and 2023. |
• | Klebsiella spp. OXA-48 were the main CPE strains associated with outbreaks and Escherichia coli was mainly associated with sporadic cases. |
• | All in all, 54,303 systematic screenings for digestive CPE were performed in order to control 57 outbreaks. |
• | CPE patient management and changes in care organization to control epidemic spread are becoming increasingly challenging in the actual hospital context. |
Abstract |
Aim |
The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology and bacteriological trends of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) at Nantes University Hospital from 2013 to 2023.
Methods |
Potential CPE carriers were prospectively detected, and their contacts were systematically screened for CPE digestive colonization. A retrospective study was conducted from 2013 to 2023 (on patient characteristics) and from 2016 to 2023 (on CPE characteristics). An outbreak was defined as at least one secondary case occurring among contact patients during the same hospitalization, in the same unit, and with the same staff.
Results |
All in all, 553 CPE-positive carriers were identified during the study period. Among them, 178 (32 %) were sporadic cases and 100 (18 %) were incidentally detected. Fifty-seven outbreaks were investigated comprising 305 (55 %) secondary cases. The most commonly identified CPE species in outbreaks were Klebsiella pneumonia OXA-48.
Conclusion |
CPE detection in the hospital was associated mainly with epidemic spread involving a variable number of secondary cases. CPE patients detected incidentally (without specific infection control measures) several days after hospital admission, repatriates and patients with a history of hospitalization abroad are at high risk of in-hospital CPE spread. The number of outbreaks did not decrease during the study period, and more generally, the number of secondary cases tends in some uncontrolled situations to increase, particular when CPE- positive patients are transferred or rehospitalized.
El texto completo de este artículo está disponible en PDF.Keywords : Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales, Carriers, Screening, Outbreak, Infection control
Esquema
Vol 55 - N° 1
Artículo 105021- février 2025 Regresar al númeroBienvenido a EM-consulte, la referencia de los profesionales de la salud.
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