VAP due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is a frequent infection among patients in ICUs. Patient characteristics and mortality in mono- and polybacterial cases of VAP may differ. A single-centre, retrospective 3-year study was conducted in the four ICUs of a Lithuanian referral university hospital, aiming to compare both the clinical features and the 60-day ICU all-cause mortality of monobacterial and polybacterial MDR Klebsiella spp. VAP episodes. Of the 86 MDR Klebsiella spp. VAP episodes analyzed, 50 (58.1%) were polybacterial. The 60-day mortality was higher (p < 0.05) in polybacterial episodes: overall (50.0 vs. 27.8%), in the sub-group with less-severe disease (SOFA < 8) at VAP onset (45.5 vs. 15.0%), even with appropriate treatment (41.7 vs. 12.5%), and the sub-group of extended drug-resistant (XDR) Klebsiella spp. (46.4 vs. 17.6%). The ICU mortality (44.0 vs. 22.5%) was also higher in the polybacterial episodes. The monobacterial MDR Klebsiella spp. VAP was associated (p < 0.05) with prior hospitalization (61.1 vs. 40.0%), diabetes mellitus (30.6 vs. 5.8%), obesity (30.6 vs. 4.7%), prior antibiotic therapy (77.8 vs. 52.0%), prior treatment with cephalosporins (66.7 vs. 36.0%), and SOFA cardiovascular ≥ 3 (44.4 vs. 10.0%) at VAP onset. Patients with polybacterial VAP were more likely (p < 0.05) to be comatose (22.2 vs. 52.0%) and had a higher SAPS II score (median [IQR] 45.0 [35.25-51.1] vs. 50.0 [40.5-60.75]) at VAP onset. Polybacterial MDR Klebsiella spp. VAP had distinct demographic and clinical characteristics compared to monobacterial, and was associated with poorer outcomes.
Keywords: Klebsiella; antibiotic stewardship; antibiotic treatment optimisation; aspiration pneumonia; hospital-acquired pneumonia; mortality; multidrug-resistance; non-fermentative GNB; pneumonia resolution; polymicrobial; sepsis; ventilator-associated pneumonia.